The Godfather
by ashleimo
Summary: After one night with Edward, Bella hopes to never see him again. Tragedy pushes them together and forces them to change their priorities. Will Bella be able to handle the responsiblities for a life she wasn't ready for? Not a mafia story.AH BxE
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

So You Had a Bad Day

My day has gone horribly. I broke a heel, spilled coffee down my white blouse and I was now running extremely late for a meeting with a new client. I was scrambling around my office, grabbing my portfolio and shoving everything into my giant tote. If I missed this meeting I would definitely lose this account for a complete home remodel. This was a huge deal with a very prominent businessman in New Orleans. Well actually it was a huge deal with his twenty-two year old wife.

I'm a romantic at heart, I really am. So when I see a sixty-three year old man married to a twenty-two year old girl, I want to believe that their eyes met across the room and they knew that this was the person they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with. But the skeptic in me knows that this isn't what happened. While she was seeing dollar signs, he was trying to remember how many Viagra's he had left before his next refill.

But who am I to judge. I'm a single twenty-eight year old interior designer who hasn't had a serious relationship since my junior year of college. This is okay because I have convinced myself that this is what I want, unfortunately I don't think my lady bits got this memo. I pretty sure they're planning to revolt.

As I'm walking down the stairs of my townhouse, I'm seriously trying to remember the last time I had sex. I have been on a few dates here and there, thanks to my best friend Alice. Alice is always setting me up with guys that are "perfect" for me. The truth is I don't have time to devote to someone else. I barely have time to take care of my own basic needs; I can't add anyone else to the mix. The few guys that I did try to get to know were looking for things that I am not ready to even think about. I know marriage and children are in my future, but far enough in the future that Christopher Lloyd wouldn't even be able to see it.

"Shit!" I screamed as I fumbled with my keys to my car. I could feel my phone vibrating in my bag, probably Alice wondering where I was at. I sent her ahead to meet Mr. Mallory and his blushing bride at their downtown home. Looking down at my watch, I was now ten minutes late with a fifteen minute drive ahead of me. I finally was situated in my recently purchased Infinity G37. Last year my business, Fleur Di Lis Designs, had really taken off. I started my firm four years ago and with the help of Alice and her fuck-awesome marketing skills; we were now the most sought after interior design company in New Orleans. My car was a present to myself for a job well done. It was a major upgrade from the old beat up truck I used to drive.

I fished my phone out of my bag and scrolled through the numerous texts from Alice wondering where I was. I had one from my sister Angela asking if I was still coming to dinner on Sunday. I typed out a quick response while stopped at a red light confirming that I would be there on Sunday and that I couldn't wait to see my god-daughter, Morgan. She was three months old and seriously the most beautiful baby I have ever seen.

Just as I sent the message, my phone rang. "Alice, I'm on my way. I had to stop and change my shirt. I will be there as soon as possible. How pissed are they?" I said quickly.

"Not pissed at all, actually, she went ahead and signed the contract without even looking at any of the plans." Alice said proudly.

"What…how…why?" I sputtered back to her.

"Well, I told her you were tied up with a certain Oscar winning actress and you should have seen her face! She started squealing and asking who exactly I was talking about but of course I couldn't disclose that information. But I did say we were _Blindsided _by her interest in the company. She ate it up."

"Oh Alice, no, you didn't!"

"Bella, its fine. You know how these women are. All about status. Now she can brag to her other silicone enhanced friends about how she's using a designer for the stars. She climbs the social ladder and your business increases with everyone else trying to keep up. Now let's get a drink and celebrate."

"Ugh, you know I hate to lie about the clients we have."

"Well good thing I don't have a problem with it. You know my moral compass doesn't exactly point north." She giggled. "It's home-grown night at Overdraft and I heard the band is really good. I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."

"Al- Hello?" _I hate when she does that._

I start making my way towards Jackson Square. I'm already exhausted and really just want to go home and take a bath. I know that I need to at least thank Alice for saving my ass today. _One drink, then I'm gone. _

I walked into the bar and looked around for Alice. This bar opened about two months ago and quickly became mine and Alice's favorite place. It was a beautiful space in a building that used to be a bank. When the owners remodeled, the teller counter was changed into the bar area and the vault was now a VIP area with oversized couches and chairs. Whoever designed it, really did a great job.

I spotted Alice sitting on a stool at the bar. As I was walking over, I spotted a familiar face behind the bar chatting with Alice. He looked up as I was approaching and smiled at me. I paused and suddenly remembered the last time I had sex. Edward Cullen. Shaking those memories out of my head, I started walking again, only to bump right into a server returning to the bar. Our legs tangled and we both fell. I felt a breeze on my backside and immediately reached down to pull down my skirt to cover my ass. Unfortunately it wasn't before the entire bar caught a glimpse of my lacy pink boyshorts. Alice rushed to my side and helped me up.

"Wow that was quite an entrance Bella." Alice said, desperately trying to hold back her laughter. Everyone was still looking so I gave a little bow and leaned down to whisper in Alice's ear.

"We need to go somewhere else. That was so embarrassing."

"No, it's fine. Now your face matches your panties. You're coordinating." I glared at her and she added "Well the chances of you getting laid tonight just increased significantly."

I pushed her and sat down at the bar. Edward approached and set a pink drink in front of me.

"What is this?" I questioned.

"It's today's special. Pink Panty Dropper. Delicious, try it." He replied, grinning at me.

"You're such an asshole."

"Oh come on, Neve, that isn't what you were saying after your sister's wedding."

"Hold on, I am completely lost." Alice said, looking between the both of us.

"I'm Edward Cullen. The Godfather. After Angela and Ben's wedding, I made Bella and offer she couldn't refuse." He said in a horrible Brando impersonation. Alice still looked confused.

"He is Ben's best friend. He was the best man at his wedding and is Morgan's godfather. As far as the offer I couldn't refuse, well it was an open bar and a huge mistake."

"I'm hurt, Neve, really hurt." Edward said gripping his chest.

"Who is Neve?" Alice asked with a small smile and looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and took a sip of my drink.

"I call Bella Neve, after Neve Campbell because of the way she screamed my name that night." He chuckled. He began wiping down the bar and silently laughing at his joke.

Alice looked at me and raised her eyebrows. I just shook my head, letting her know that I didn't want to talk about it. I quickly drank the rest of my drink and told Alice I would see her later. I thankfully made it out of the bar without giving anyone else a look at my underwear. I got into my car and released a deep breath. My phone started to ring and I answered it without even looking.

"Alice, I've just had a really shitty day and I don't want to put up with Doucheward Cullen right now." I said tiredly.

"I'm sorry; I'm trying to reach Isabella Swan. Is this Isabella Swan?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. This is Isabella Swan speaking." I fumbled.

"Ms. Swan this is Officer Newton from the N.O.P.D. Ma'am we need you to come down to the Tulane ER. There has been an accident." He said solemnly.

This has been a horrible day I thought to myself after dropping my phone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! Thank you for those who added my story to their alerts and reviewed. I appreciate you guys. **

**I don't have a beta, but I try to review the chapters before I post. If you see any mistakes, let me know so I can fix them. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Chapter Two

Going to the Chapel

_Two years earlier_

Today my sister, Angela, was getting married. She met her soon-to-be husband, Ben, while she was in college at LSU. They were both pursuing their teaching degrees in elementary education. Angela became a second grade English teacher and Ben teaches fourth grade science. They bonded over all things nerdy and were a perfect match. Ben took Angela to the zoo on their first date two years ago and asked her to marry him six months later.

I looked at myself in the mirror and smoothed down the front of my dress. Angela really planned a beautiful wedding. She had taken advantage of all that New Orleans had to offer. The ceremony was taking place in the courtyard of a beautiful bed and breakfast. She used the existing greenery and added deep purple accents on all the chairs and the archway. All of the bridesmaid dresses were the same deep plum color. They were strapless and embroidered along the bust with a silvery thread and beading. She picked out strappy heels and gave us all matching jewelry. The two other bridesmaids wore their hair up, while me, the maid-of-honor, wore my hair down in soft waves.

Angela really looked beautiful. She found a vintage lace wedding dress at a second hand store in town. It fit her personality and her body perfectly. She had her dark hair pulled back with a birdcage veil and curls framing her face. My eyes started to tear when she stepped out of the bedroom of her suite.

"Your boobs look really great in that dress, Ang." I said, desperately trying not to cry.

Angela snorted and said, "Well you know that's the only reason I got this dress."

"Mom and Dad would have really loved to see this. Mom would probably say something really embarrassing about your wedding night and Dad would be fighting back his emotions over how beautiful you look." I grabbed Angela into a tight hug and let the tears flow. "You really do look beautiful."

"I love you so much!" she hugged me fiercely. I knew she wished our parents could be here just as much as they would have wanted to be here. Our mom died of breast cancer when I was nineteen and we lost our dad to a heart attack eighteen months later. Angela was the only family I had left.

After sobbing a few minutes longer, I pushed back and surveyed the damage. "Wow, what the hell kind of makeup did they use on you? Not a thing out of place. Are you ready to become Mrs. Ben Chaney?"

"Absolutely." She said.

"Well let's get going." I grabbed her hand and walked out into the living area of the suite. The other bridesmaids began gushing over her dress and repeatedly telling her how beautiful she looked. I could see she the blush forming on her cheeks and her starting to fidget. "Alright ladies, you make her head any bigger, she won't fit through the door." I gave her a little wink and we walked out the door, heading to the courtyard.

The jazz band was playing softly as the first bridesmaid began walking down the aisle. I turned and gave my sister another hug before it was my turn to walk. "I love you sis."

"I love you too; now go because I can't wait to kiss my husband." She said with a huge smile on her face.

I began walking the short distance to the arch. I looked ahead to Ben and gave him a small smile and then my eyes connected with his best man. I tried to remember everything Angela told me about him. What was his name again? Ethan? Eric? Edward? Edward, that was it. She said that he was Ben's best friend from his hometown outside of Chicago. They had been friends since they were little and he was flying in for the wedding. She didn't tell me how gorgeous he was though. He had beautiful eyes and a strong jaw. His hair looked as if he just rolled out of bed, but it worked for him. And his lips, gah, completely kissable.

I finished my walk and took my place next to the other bridesmaids, but I still hadn't broken eye contact with Edward. He was smiling at me as his eyes quickly roamed over my body. The wedding march began and all the guests stood as Angela made her way down the aisle. Edward and I were still staring at each other and he slightly bent to whisper in Ben's ear. "She's beautiful."

When Ben nodded, it broke the trance I was in. I looked at Ben as he watched my sister walk towards him. There was nothing but pure love in his eyes. I then looked towards my sister and saw the same love present in her eyes. She didn't look around at any of the guests or check over the decorations in the courtyard. Her eyes were focused on Ben. Right then, I really hoped I could have what they have some day.

Angela stopped in front of Ben and he grabbed her hands. He gave a light kiss to each one and said, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." The minister smiled at the couple and looked out towards the guests. He began the ceremony and my eyes were drawn to Edward again. Our eyes re-connected and remained that way until the minister announced, "You may now kiss your bride."

Ben grabbed Angela and kissed her deeply as he dipped her a little. Everyone stood and clapped for the new husband and wife. The newlyweds made their way back down the aisle, hand in hand. Edward put his arm out to me to hold and we walked back into the bed and breakfast. "Edward Cullen," he whispered in my ear. I responded with my name and he said, "Beautiful." I smiled up at him as we made our way over to Ben and Angela.

I slipped away from Edward to hug my sister and new brother-in-law. The photographer ushered us over to the large staircase and started snapping pictures. I was standing on the side of my sister and Edward was next to Ben. I would try to sneak glances at him in-between shots and directions from the photographer. Every time I looked at him, he was looking back at me. _This will be an interesting night._

Once we had taken pictures in every possible pose, everyone in attendance was given beautifully decorated umbrellas to begin the second line parade down Bourbon Street. The second line is a New Orleans tradition where the party dances behind the brass band as they parade down the street. As we made our way down the busy road past numerous bars and street vendors, Edward grabbed my hand and gave me a twirl. "So Bella, tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything, everything. I can tell you're an interesting person. I'd definitely like to get to know you." He gave me a smirk and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Is that so? How can you tell I'm interesting?" I asked suspiciously.

"Your eyes. They are very…expressive." He looked directly into my eyes.

"Wow." I said dreamily. A huge grin appeared on his face, as if he just won a prize. "That…was the biggest load of crap I've ever heard." I replied. His face fell and he cocked his head to the side, like a confused dog. "Tell me Edward, does all that bullshit that just poured out of your mouth actually work for you?"

His smile returned as he said, "Yes it does, quite frequently actually."

"Well those northern girls must be pretty light in the head." I laughed.

He laughed along with me as we finished the short walk to the jazz club where the reception was being held. Again, Angela did a magnificent job decorating the area. The club was illuminated with hundreds of candles and soft lighting. The small centerpieces were made up of magnolias and bunches of purple hydrangea.

Edward finally released my hand as I made my way to the bar. I stood for a few minutes trying to get one of the bartender's attention. Someone approached me from behind and pressed themselves firmly against my back. A hand wrapped around my waist and set a drink in front of me. "I thought you might enjoy a screaming orgasm." He whispered in my ear.

I rolled my eyes and turned around. Edward was looking at me with one eyebrow quirked. "You can't be serious. Where did you get all these lame pick-up lines?"

"From a book called _How to be Dazzling."_

I let out a deep belly laughand nudged him with my shoulder. I picked up the cream colored drink and took a sip. It was actually very good so I downed the rest of it. I licked my lips to clear any remnants of the drink and looked up at Edward. His eyes were focused on my lips and he licked his in response. I suddenly had an urge to grab the back of his head and pull his face to mine so I could nibble on his bottom lip. _Whoa, what the hell was in that drink?_

A dark haired bartender broke the orgasm induced trance I was in when he asked Edward if he would like another. I nodded slightly and the bartender started on our refills. He placed two drinks in front us and gave a sly smile and wink in Edward's direction.

"Well you certainly _dazzled _him," I teased. He scrunched his face and picked up his drink. "Let's go find our table _Stud." _I grabbed his tie and pulled him behind me.

As we were sitting down, the band leader announced the newlyweds and Ben and Angela walked to the dance floor. The band started a slow jazzy version of _Beautiful Day _and Ben nervously pulled Angela to him.

"He was really worried about the dancing." Edward said nodding towards the couple. Anyone in the room could see the nerves present on Ben's face. Angela looked up at her new husband and gently stroked his cheek. Ben visibly calmed and tightened his grip on her. He looked only into her eyes, as they finished the song. Everyone clapped as the couple took their seats at our table. Edward leaned over and gave Ben a pat on the back. "You did great, man."

A waiter walked over to our table and refilled our drinks. Ben and Angela went to speak to the other guests while we were waiting for the food to be served. "So, are you giving a speech?" I asked Edward.

"Yea, I actually need to stop drinking until it's over. I don't want to screw that up," he responded.

"I know…I hate speaking in front of a crowd." I sympathized, taking another sip of my drink.

"Are you originally from New Orleans?" Edward asked.

"Born and raised."

"You don't sound like it. Your accent isn't as thick as some of the other natives I've met."

"It comes out every now and then. Is this your first time visiting?" I asked. He was much easier to talk to when he dropped the playboy act.

He shook his head at my question. "No, I've visited Ben a few times since he moved here. It's been a while though. It really is a totally different world. So many cultures and traditions. I wouldn't mind moving here someday."

"Uh-oh. I should warn the women of New Orleans now. Prepare them to be dazzled and such. You may never get laid again."

"Ha, ha, are you always this charming or is this special for me?"

Ben and Angela returned to the table and shortly after, the food was served. I sat and listened as Ben told Edward about the cruise they were taking for the honeymoon. Angela scooted her chair closer to mine and whispered, "He's cute right?"

"Angela, how many times do I have to tell you? Ben is adorable." I joked with her. She playfully slapped my arm.

"You know who I'm talking about. He has been checking you out all night."

"Yea, he's alright. If you like that pretty boy, sex on a stick kind of guy. Which to hear him talk, there are plenty of women who do."

"Oh, hunny, I'm sure he's not really like that. I mean, his best friend is Ben. Ben wasn't exactly a ladies' man." She gave me a squeeze and re-joined the conversation with the guys. I thought about what she said for a few minutes as I quietly finished my meal. _It wouldn't matter if he isn't really like that, he lives in Chicago. It would do me no good to get involved with him._ But that doesn't mean I can't imagine what it would be like.

During my very explicit daydream, Edward stood from the table and called everyone to attention. "Hello everyone, I'm Edward Cullen. Ben is my best friend and it was an honor today to be his best man. I have known Ben all of my life and I have never seen him more happy than he is when he is with Angela." He looked down at Angela and smiled. "Ben told me the first day he met you, that he knew you were the one for him. I know that what you guys have will last forever. Angela, you look absolutely beautiful. Ben is lucky he found such an extraordinary person to share his life with. I love you both and wish you nothing but happiness in your new life."

Everyone raised their glasses to the bride and groom and Edward passed the microphone to me. He gave me a pat on the back and a quick smile. "Good luck, Bella." My hands started to shake as I grabbed the mic from his hand. Our fingers touched briefly and my thoughts immediately returned to the dirty things his fingers were doing to me in my fantasy. A soft moan fell from my lips and was amplified through the room from the microphone. I felt my neck and face heat up and I took a quick glance around the room. Everyone was looking at me expectantly and Angela gently nudged me. "Oh right! Umm…I guess those screaming orgasms really sneak up on you." There was a gasp heard all around the room. "Oh no, it's a drink…I was talking about a drink. That's the name of the drink…a stupid name…I didn't order it. Umm…I'm supposed to be giving a speech. Okay, so I'm just going to do that." I looked around our table for some support, but Angela had her head buried in Ben's shoulder trying to hide her laughter. Ben's lips were squeezed tightly together and Edward was outright laughing at me. I glared at him and began my speech.

"For those that don't know me, I'm Bella, Angela's sister. After this horrible attempt at a speech, I'm sure none of you will forget me. Angela has always been a great sister. She took care of me after our parent's passed and is always there when I need her. I am so glad she has found someone as wonderful as Ben, to take care of her. I want to thank Angela for being such an important person in my life and also for bringing Ben into my life as well. So before we toast the newlyweds, I'd like to give Ben some sisterly advice. When you're wrong, admit it. When you're right, just be quiet. Yes, women do need a different pair of shoes for every outfit. Always remember those three special words…Okay, buy it. And remember Ben, a happy wife, makes for a happy life. Now, if everyone would raise their glasses to my sister and her husband. Separately, you are two remarkable people, but together you are complete. I wish you the very best. My love to you both." I approached Ben and Angela and gave each of them a hug and a kiss.

"That was beautiful, sis." Angela said.

"Yeah, once I finished talking about orgasms. God, I hope we can edit that out of the video."

"Never, we need that moment preserved in history." Ben laughed.

The band picked up again, and the couples made their way to the dance floor. Edward walked around to me and extended his hand. "You want to dance?" I slammed back the rest of my drink and grabbed his hand.

"What the hell."

Edward and I danced to several songs as we drank several more drinks. We talked about his life back in Chicago. He was currently working as a manager in nightclub, but hoped to open his own bar someday. He had one sister that just got married last year. I told him about my job and my plans to expand my business. I made him promise that if he ever moved to New Orleans and opened a club, he would let me help him design it.

After the cake was cut and the bouquet was thrown, Ben and Angela came over to let us know they were heading back to the hotel. "Bye, sweetie, call me tomorrow before you get on the boat. I love you!" She agreed and gave me a hug. I overheard Ben asking Edward to make sure I returned to the hotel safely. He responded saying that he would. _Aww, that was sweet. Ben was such a good guy._

We continued dancing, moving closer and closer with each song. The band started a slow song, and Edward pulled me closely to him. His arm wrapped tightly around my waist and my hand played with the hair at the back of his neck. We swayed back and forth before he slowly spun me away from him. He pulled me back in and gently pushed the hair out of my face. The drinks and his smell were really having an effect on me. It was becoming increasingly difficult to resist the lust I saw in those deep green eyes. I desperately wanted to push him against the wall and have my way with him. The song ended, but Edward didn't release his grip on my waist. "Are you staying at the same hotel as Ben and Angela?" he asked, his lips barely touching my ear. I nodded. "You ready to head back?" I again nodded.

He pulled my hand from around his neck and started leading the way to the door. Once we exited the club, Edward pushed me against the wall and held my face in his hands. His lips gently met mine, and then he pulled away. He searched my face for approval; I smiled slightly and he kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moaned when his tongue touched my lips. I opened my mouth and our tongues met. He tasted amazing, spicy and sweet. Absolutely delicious. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me against his body. We both groaned when I ground my hips into his. We pulled away from each other when we heard someone clearing their throat.

I looked behind Edward at the police officer peering down at us from his horse. "I think you guys should move along, you're drawing an audience." He smiled and commanded his horse to start walking. There was a crowd of about twenty people, just watching Edward and me. We looked at each other and started laughing. The small crowd started applauding our performance as we walked away. _Only in New Orleans._

Once we made it back to the hotel, Edward rushed me up the staircase and pulled me into his room. As soon as the door was shut and locked, Edward resumed the position we had taken on the street. I was pressed firmly against the door, as Edward ran his hands up and down my back. My hands found their way to his soft hair and tugged slightly. He growled and bit my bottom lip. His hands firmly gripped my ass and pulled my body up level with his. I wrapped my legs around his waist and moaned as I felt his hardness rub against me. He pulled his mouth away from mine, kissing and sucking on my neck.

"I want to fuck you Bella." He whispered seductively in my ear. He was grinding himself against me. I only had on a pair of silk panties underneath my dress and I know they were soaked. He would probably have a huge wet spot on his suit pants, but I couldn't find it in me to give a damn.

"Oh god," I moaned loudly. If he kept saying things like that, he wouldn't even need to fuck me. I was about to cum just from the friction he was creating from grinding against me. He pressed himself against me again and my eyes rolled back and my head hit the door. I grabbed his hair and pulled his lips to mine. I wanted to taste him again. He indulged me for a few moments before pulling back again.

"Tell me what you want Bella."

"I want you inside me, please." He crashed his lips against mine and began walking us through the living area to the bedroom. He was fumbling with the back of my dress, trying to unzip it. I loosened his tie and pushed his jacket off his shoulders. Once we entered the bedroom, he set me on the floor. He kicked his shoes off as I reached for the zipper on my dress. His shirt was nearly off, when I let my dress fall to the floor. I stood before him, dressed only in my panties. He stopped what he was doing and let his eyes roam my body.

"You're perfect." He mumbled quietly. Edward took a step to where I was standing. He placed his hands underneath my arms, picked me up and gently placed me on the bed. He kissed me passionately, before slowly moving down my body. He placed kisses down my neck, until he reached my breasts. He grabbed one in each hand and gently massaged them. I felt his tongue circle my nipple and then suck it into his mouth. My back arched off the bed and I rubbed my thighs together in anticipation of him being between them. He lavished my other nipple with the same attention and again began placing kisses down my body.

He ran his tongue down over my ribs and across my stomach. His tongue dipped just below the waist of my underwear. My body quivered with my need for release. "Please Edward, I can't take much more. I want you." I looked down at him and pleaded for him to stop teasing me. I was seriously about to fall over the edge and neither of us had even removed all our clothes. A satisfied grin appeared on his face as he reached down and unbuttoned his pants. He pushed his pants down his legs and reached for my panties. He eased them down my hips and I rose slightly to allow him to remove them. He ran his hands up my legs and pushed them apart.

"I want to taste you, can I taste you?" He didn't wait for an answer. He slid his tongue between my folds and hummed his pleasure. "You taste so fucking good." He slid a finger into me and I couldn't hold off any longer.

"Oh shit, Edward. I'm cu- ungh." He slid another finger in me and pumped them faster. My body lifted off the bed, my legs were shaking and I was speaking in some kind of tongue. I've had sex before, good sex with fantastic orgasms, but nothing like this. I felt tingles all over my body and my legs wouldn't stop twitching. I opened my eyes and saw Edward kneeling above me. He stroked himself a few times, then rolled a condom on. He positioned himself between my legs and leaned down to kiss me. When his tongue touched mine, he pushed himself into me.

"Oh fuck, baby you feel so good around me. Does it feel good Bella?" I only nodded because I was afraid if I spoke I would profess my undying love to his cock or something equally embarrassing. He slowly pulled out and slammed back into me. My mouth fell open and I swear I saw fireworks and lightning crashing and all kinds of other clichéd shit. Edward continued to pump into me, placing open mouth kisses on my neck. I ran my nails down his back and softly bit his shoulder.

He leaned back onto his knees and pulled me into his lap. His hands were on my hips helping me to grind on top of him. The only sounds I could hear were the combination of our heaving breathing and our bodies, slick with sweat, moving against each other. I could feel my body starting to tense and my stomach tightening in anticipation for my release. Edward placed his hands on top of my shoulders and pushed me on him forcefully. I felt myself tighten around him and my eyes rolled back. He kissed me passionately and swallowed my moans. His mouth latched onto my neck as his body stiffened.

We stopped moving and Edward lifted his head from my shoulder. "That was amazing." I nodded my agreement, still unable to form words. Edward gently laid me back on the bed and climbed off, headed for the bathroom. I laid there and thought about what happens now. I've never done the one night stand thing before. Am I supposed to just leave while he is in the bathroom or wait until he gets out, thank him for the multiple orgasms and then leave? I was deep in thought about proper etiquette, when Edward emerged from the bathroom in all his naked glory. He plopped down on the bed and rested his head in his hand. "What are you thinking about?"

"Um, heading back to my room. I really need to get to bed. I'm exhausted; I've been up since about six this morning. You know with all the wedding stuff." I knew I was rambling, but I couldn't stop the words coming from my mouth. He placed his fingers against my lips, effectively shutting me up.

"You could stay in my room tonight, if you want."

"Uh, okay. If you're sure. I mean, I don't want things to be awkward." I said, suddenly insecure. He laughed a little and shook his head.

"It won't be awkward." I nodded and moved off the bed.

"I'm just gonna…" I pointed towards the bathroom. I walked in and shut the door. I cleaned myself up a bit and hesitated before I walked back into the bedroom. Do I just sleep naked or should I go back to my room and get something to sleep in? _Get a grip Bella; this isn't that big a deal. He just saw everything you have to see._ My little pep talk gave the confidence to stop questioning myself. I walked out the bathroom to see Edward sitting on the bed. He had put boxers on and I wanted to cry a little that he was covering his body.

"There's a t-shirt you can wear. I didn't think you would want to sleep in your dress." He pointed to the end of the bed. I grabbed the white shirt and pulled it over my head. I climbed onto the bed and positioned myself next to him. He turned off the small bedside lamp and pulled the covers over us. "What's your favorite book?" Edward asked quietly.

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. My mom would read it to Angela and I when were kids. It was the first non-school related book I ever read. I usually read it every year around my mom's birthday." We asked each other questions until we both fell asleep.

I awoke to my phone ringing. I crawled out of bed and began searching the room. I finally found it underneath one of Edward's socks. I walked into the living area so I wouldn't wake Edward. "Hello," I whispered.

"Why are we whispering?" Angela asked.

"I'm whispering because I don't want to make a lot of noise, I have no idea why you're whispering." I laughed at her.

"Shut up. Why do you need to be quiet? Is there someone there that you don't want to wake?" she asked excitedly.

"Maybe…are you guys about to board the ship?"

"Yes, but stop trying to change the subject. Is it Edward? You guys were looking pretty cozy last night. I told you he wasn't a bad guy." She sounded so happy.

"Yes, you were right, he is a nice guy. But it doesn't matter; he is going back to Chicago tomorrow." I replied sadly.

"Well that doesn't mean it has to be the end, y'all could be pen pals." I laughed loudly, then covered my mouth with my hand.

"You are such a dork, Ang. Have fun on your honeymoon, don't come back knocked up and I love you. I need more sleep. Call me when you get somewhere beautiful."

"Sleep huh, that what you crazy kids calling it these days? I'll give you a call later, I love you too!" She hung up and I tiptoed back into the bedroom. The morning light was just starting to filter into the room. I stood in the doorway and watched Edward sleeping peacefully. He really was gorgeous. I thought briefly about taking a picture of him with my phone and sending it to Alice.

"Are you coming back to bed or are you just going to keep staring at me?" Edward said in a thick, sleepy voice.

"I wasn't staring and I thought you were still asleep." I walked back to the bed and sat on the edge. "I actually need to get going. I have some work stuff to do today." He reached his arm around my waist and pulled me down next to him.

"Have breakfast with me first," he said into my hair.

"Okay, do you want to order something here or go out somewhere?"

"Let's just order something here; I don't want to let you out of my room yet." He reached over and grabbed the small binder next to the bed. "Pick anything you want. I like everything. I'm just going to grab a quick shower."

I flipped through the book as he headed for the bathroom. I decided to just get some scrambled eggs, a side of grits and some toast. I called and placed the order and walked out into the living room. I turned the TV on and flipped through the channels. About ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I grabbed a robe out of the bedroom and walked to the door. The attendant rolled in the cart of food and placed it on the small table. I thanked her and handed her a tip. Before she left the room, she handed me a small stack of papers. She told me they were messages that had been left at the front desk for this room. I thanked her again and she walked out.

I placed the papers on the table next to the food. I wondered why Edward would have so many messages after just one night. I grabbed a piece of toast and stared at the papers. _It's wrong. I shouldn't look._ Curiosity won and I snatched them up. What can I say, I'm a nosy bitch. I sat crossed legged, like I was about to start a really good book. _I'll only read one._

I flipped over the one on top, 'Your girlfriend is in labor. Call Chicago Memorial Hospital, ASAP.'

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**A/N: I don't want to be one of those people who begs for reviews, so I'll bribe you instead. All reviews get a teaser. ~Ashlei~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello hello. How are we all doing? Thanks for the reviews and alerts last chapter. Keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Chapter 3

All Mixed Up

I held the slip of paper in my hand and read over the message again. 'Your girlfriend is in labor. Please call Chicago Memorial Hospital, ASAP.' I felt nauseous. Everything that had taken place last night came rushing back to me. He never mentioned a girlfriend, especially not a pregnant one. I think I would have remembered that. I had to get out of here.

Edward was still in the shower as I rushed around his room trying to find my clothes. I quickly pulled on my dress and found my shoes. _Where the fuck is my underwear?_ I heard the water turn off and I bolted from the room. I quickly ran to my room and grabbed my overnight bag. I threw on a pair of flip flops and did my walk/run of shame out of the bed and breakfast.

The bright morning sun burned my eyes. I made my way to my car and pulled out my phone. I called my best friend Alice. I knew she would make me feel better. We agreed to meet at Café Du Monde. Beignets and coffee sounded extremely good right now.

I parked across the street from the café. People didn't even give me a second look as I walked up to the counter in my bridesmaid dress and flip flops. For a city that is all party, all the time it isn't uncommon to see someone that looked like they just bolted from the room of a one-night stand gone wrong.

I ordered two coffees and an order of fresh beignets. Anyone who has never had a beignet is seriously missing out. They are the best hangover food in New Orleans. The deep fried dough covered in powered sugar served hot is probably the best thing ever created. I sat at a table on the patio and started mixing my coffee. Alice approached the table and sat down. She raised an eyebrow at my appearance.

"You didn't tell me this meeting was black tie." She said as she took a bite of the doughy goodness.

"Alice, I'm a horrible person." I laid my head on my folded arms.

"Sweetie, it _is_ horrible that you subjected the fine people of New Orleans to that rat nest on top of your head, but I still love you." I groaned and gave her the evil eye. "Okay, sorry, tell me what happened."

"He has a girlfriend, a pregnant girlfriend…well she probably isn't pregnant anymore since the message said she was in labor."

"Whoa, I don't think I got any of that. Take a breath and start again, slower." She placed her hand on top of mine in an attempt to comfort me.

"Okay, I met a guy last night, one thing led to another, fast forward through the most mind-blowing sex I have ever had and I find out this morning that he has a pregnant girlfriend that was probably in labor while we were in bed together." I relayed all this information to her in one breath.

"Wow. Let's talk about the mind-blowing sex first." She said while bouncing in her seat.

"Alice, I can't even describe it. I have never felt that way. Ever." I sighed. "But I just need to forget all about it because he is a dirty ol' bastard that cheats on his pregnant girlfriend. I mean who does that?"

"He's old?" Alice asked, looking partly grossed out and partly intrigued.

"What? No, he isn't old. I'm just saying…fuck I don't know what I'm saying. I just need to go home, take a hot shower and wash that asshole's smell off of me." I finished my coffee and grabbed another beignet for the road.

"You might want to ice that hickey on your neck too." Alice yelled after me. I flipped her off and kept walking. _Why did I call her again?_

I got home and headed straight to the bathroom. I turned the shower on and looked myself over in the mirror. _Huh, I do have a hickey._ My makeup was smeared beneath my eyes and my hair was all over the place. I quickly brushed my teeth and jumped in the shower.

I washed my body while thinking over everything that happened. I couldn't understand how someone could just lie the way Edward had. Well, he didn't exactly lie. I never thought to ask him if he had any girlfriends back home. He just omitted the information. But surely Ben would have known something about this. Maybe he was keeping his love child secret from everyone. Angela would have warned me if she knew about his baggage. She wouldn't have sounded so pleased to hear my whereabouts this morning.

I finished my shower and wrapped a towel around my body. As I was combing my hair there was a knock at the door. I looked through the peephole and saw Edward standing there. He looked distraught as he chewed on his bottom lip.

"What do you want?" I yelled through the door.

"I just want to explain that message you saw." Edward responded sadly.

"I don't think there is anything to explain. You're an asshole who cheats on his pregnant girlfriend. I get it."

"Please Bella; just let me talk to you. It isn't what you think. Check your phone. Ben and Angela will back me up."

I walked over to where I had thrown my bag. I pulled my phone out and saw that I had thirteen missed calls and twenty text messages. They were a collection from Angela, Alice and an out of town number I didn't recognize.

I quickly flipped through the messages. 'Bella, this is Edward. Pls call me this #'. There were several other messages from him similar to this one. A few were from Alice, telling me that Angela was trying to get in touch with me. And about ten from Angela ranging from her telling me to call her, to one that was just filled with curses, and a final one that said she gave Edward my address and that I needed to hear him out. I trusted my sister and knew she wouldn't hurt me, so I walked over and opened the door.

"Bella, listen, what you read was…you're in a towel. Why are you in a towel?" Edward fumbled his words while his eyes scanned my body. A look of lust overtook his face and he took a step towards me.

"You have five minutes." I said, trying to ignore the way he was staring at me. "Five minutes starting thirty seconds ago, Edward." I said impatiently after he remained silent.

"Um, well, it was a boy?" My face scrunched up at his response. Did he really come here for me to what, congratulate him? After seeing the look of disbelief on my face, he pulled at his hair in frustration. "No, that isn't what I meant. Um, could you put some clothes on? You are distracting me and I can't say what I want to say. All I keep thinking about is how amazing you taste and how beautiful you look when you cum." I rolled my eyes in response. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. See, you really are distracting."

"Fine, stay there. And don't snoop through my things."

"Hi pot, meet kettle." He mumbled under his breath.

I stomped off to my bedroom and threw on a pair of sweats and a tank top. I walked into my living room to see Edward had made himself comfortable on my couch. "Did I say make yourself at home?"

He cut his eyes at me and stood up. "Why are you being such a bitch? Where is this _Southern hospitality_ everyone talks about?"

"I'm pretty sure we don't have to extend that courtesy to assholes." I retorted.

"Look, I didn't have to come here and explain myself. I could have let you continue to think whatever you wanted about me, but Ben is my best friend and he's married to your sister. I didn't want things to be awkward if we ever saw each other again." I huffed my annoyance after his spiel. "I don't owe you anything, especially since you read _my_ personal messages."

"So you're saying it's my fault?" I asked incredulously. I couldn't believe this guy.

"Well you _snooping _through my things and then overreacting, running like a coward without even confronting me, that _is_ your fault. You could have been an adult about this and just asked me what was going on." He said heatedly. Him being all pissed was kind of turning me on. His face was flushed and he was slightly panting as he glared down at me. I dispelled these thoughts from my mind. _Focus Bella._

"Whatever, your time is up, so if there is anything you want to say, say it."

After taking a deep breath, he began speaking. "I don't have a baby or a girlfriend. I dated this girl, Jane, for about two weeks. We broke up when she started getting psycho…really psycho…boil your bunny psycho. That was about three years ago. She shows up at my house a few months ago telling me she is seven months pregnant with my child. I thought she was kidding, I mean I hadn't seen her in three fucking years. She started pulling out ultrasound pictures and shit, telling me that she thinks the baby has my nose. She had really lost her mind." He walked back to my couch, plopping down with his head in his hands.

"Wow." I responded, dumbly.

"I ended up have to get a restraining order against her because she wouldn't stop showing up at my house and work. Now I have to fly home earlier that I expected to take a paternity test. All this shit is just so unbelievably fucked up. I feel so bad for this baby."

"Edward, that's…just…messed up. Do you always go for the psychos?" I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well you're the second one, so maybe I need to re-evaluate my methods." He laughed with me.

I blew out a deep breath. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions and being a bitch." I did feel bad, but come on, who wouldn't have taken that message the wrong way?

"And…?" Edward prompted.

"And what?"

"Aren't you sorry for snooping through my things?"

"Actually I wasn't technically snooping; those messages were handed to me." He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. "Okay, I'm sorry for that too."

"I accept your apology, Bella. I really hope this will be a lesson to you, I hate to think how you would have reacted if you read the message from my wife." He shuddered and put his arm around my shoulders. I smacked him on his chest, telling him to stop teasing me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him. Edward was staring at me again, with that look of lust in his eyes.

I pulled away before things could escalate. It wasn't that I didn't want to be with Edward again, but I was just cursing him out in my head an hour ago and wasn't ready to just fall back into bed with him. "Um, do you want some coffee or something?" I asked, hoping to break the awkwardness that had fallen over the room.

"What exactly would the something entail?" He asked suggestively. He gave an eyebrow waggle for extra effect.

"I see that '_dazzling'_ Edward is back…" Apparently when I pulled away from Edward's embrace, something changed, his playboy persona was back in place.

He smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Actually I need to get going, my flight leaves in a few hours."

"Oh…okay…well…have a safe trip home Edward." I offered and gave him a small hug. He nodded and told me to take care of myself. He walked out of my house and gave a little wave before getting in his car.

I walked into my bedroom and fell face first on the bed. I really felt like an idiot for overreacting. I picked up my phone and called Angela.

"So, y'all done having make-up sex already?" Angela said without even saying hello first.

"There was no make-up sex Ang."

"What do you mean; you let him explain what was going on right? I left you a text message, Bella. Why do you insist on doing everything the hard way?" She babbled.

"Ang, would you let me talk please?" I cut in. "He came over here, thanks for that by the way, and explained the situation. Everything's fine. He just left actually."

"So if there wasn't any make-up sex, was there at least an 'I'm sorry' kiss?" She asked hopefully. I rolled my eyes at her silliness.

"What is up with you? Shouldn't you and Ben be busy having all this sex you're talking about? Why do you want Edward and me together so badly, anyway?" I questioned. Angela has never really pushed guys in my direction before.

"Edward is just a really great guy, Bella. I think you guys could be good together. I'm just trying to look out for my sister is all. I love you and want you to be happy."

"I _am_ happy Angela. I don't need Edward or anyone else in my life to make me happy." I didn't even convince myself with that little speech.

"Whatever you say. I think Edward really likes you. He was genuinely upset over what happened this morning. I'll get the two of you together one way or another." She said. I could practically hear her scheming.

"Okay, subject change. Where are you guys at? Done any fun things yet?" I didn't want to think about Edward anymore. I didn't want to think about the way it felt to kiss him or the way he looked at me like I was something to eat. The way he could make my body ache by just saying a few words and his body, gah, I definitely didn't want to think about his body. Hard and toned and absolutely delicious.

"-and then Ben jumped overboard." Angela finished.

"That sounds fun…wait…what?" She laughed at me and told me she would call me later. "I'm sorry; I'll talk to you soon. Love you." I said before hanging up.

I busied myself around the house for the rest of the day, doing housework and completing some drawings for a new account. I tried desperately to keep my mind off of Edward, but he kept popping into my thoughts. This was difficult because I had never been so attracted to someone before. It wasn't even about is looks, well some of it was about his looks, but we had a lot in common, too. When he would ask me questions, he was genuinely interested in the answer. But on the flip side, he was such a cocky asshole. Completely full of himself. But I would be lying if I said that his confidence wasn't a turn on also. _He is gone Bella, get over it. Not to mention he thinks you're a whackadoo._

I decided to take a hot bath to relax before going to bed. I lit some candles and put on some soft music before immersing myself into the bubble-filled water. After soaking for a while, I must have nodded off, and woke with a start. My phone was beeping with an incoming text message. The water was freezing and my skin was all wrinkled. I got out and dressed for bed. Before turning out my light, I remembered the text message. I scanned the screen to see one picture message from Edward. A big smile spread across my face.

'Hey doll, just wanted to thank you for the souvenir, I've added it to my collection. I almost have one from every state! ;)' I clicked to open the picture and gasped. Draped across a map of Louisiana, was the black silk panties I was wearing last night. _He is such an asshole._

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**A/N: Anyone ever leave behind something embarrassing at someone's house?**

**I don't want to be one of those people who beg for reviews, but I'll bribe for them. All reviews get a teaser! ~Ashlei~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi ladies. I decided to post this chapter a little early. Hope you like it. **

**I still don't have a beta, so if anyone wants to volunteer or knows someone who might want to take it on, let me know. Put the word out there for me.**

**I've also added some pictures to my profile for each chapter up. Just a little visual to go along with the story. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Chapter 4

Can't Get My Head Around You

With the wedding out of the way, life moved on. Ben and Angie returned from their honeymoon. My business was steadily picking up steam. I was so busy; I had to hire Alice full time to help me. She really was a life savior. She had created the website for the company and did the initial consultation on all new clients. We worked great together.

I didn't hear much from or about Edward after that day. This was mostly because I was too proud to ask. I was still annoyed that my panties were being used as some man-whore's trophy for his exploration around the country. He really was disgusting. Angela would try to make conversation about him or what exactly happened that day, but I wouldn't take the bait.

A few months later, Alice decided I needed to put myself out there. She met this guy and he was perfect for me. I resisted, but ultimately she broke me down. I agreed to go out with Eric Yorkie. He was a nice guy on paper, but it didn't translate in person. Alice told me he worked at an art studio and we shared similar tastes in music. She gave him my number and we talked for a while. We got along okay and set up a date to meet at a restaurant downtown the next night.

I showed up and gave the hostess his name. She informed me that he had not arrived, but that she will seat me at the table. We were supposed to be meeting at 7:30 and it was now 7:32. The waiter came over and asked for my drink order, I let him know that I was waiting on someone and would order when they arrived. He walked away and returned fifteen minutes later. Eric had still not shown up, so I went ahead and ordered myself a drink. If I was going to be stood up, I could ease my pain with alcohol.

Another ten minutes passed, I looked up at a man approaching the table. The first thing my eye catches is the zebra print _LADIES _blouse he is wearing, along with the extremely tight, black leather pants. _This cannot be him!_ But just as the thought entered my head, it left, as he sat down across from me. I think my mouth was wide open and he must have taken my expression as a compliment because he tells me there is a little drool in the corner of my mouth. _I think I might throw up._

"So how are you Bella?" He asks seductively. At least that is what I think he is going for.

"Well…Eric…I'm feeling pretty good since I sat here an enjoyed several drinks, seeing that you were twenty-five minutes late." I responded snidely.

"Good, that's great. Got you good and loosened up?" Eric wiggled his eyebrows and I think I actually threw up a little.

"No, no it didn't. The only thing that needs loosening up, is your pants." I threw some money on the table and walked out. I called Alice to let her know she was relieved of her match-making duties, but she unsurprisingly didn't answer the phone. I stopped at a burger place on the way home and enjoyed dinner alone.

I wouldn't let Alice set me up with anyone else, even though she asked frequently over the next several months. "Come on Bella, this guy is really hot. He works at a bank, so he wears a suit, no women's clothes," she said persuasively.

"No thanks, Alice. Not interested."

"He is a great catch; you are going to regret this. I can feel that you would be great together."

"If he is so great, why don't you date him?"

"I can't date a banker," she said with and disgusted look on her face. "Gosh Bella, don't you know me at all?" I rolled my eyes at her. Alice preferred the grungy, struggling musician or artist. I guess opposites attract. She walked out of my office with a little huff.

Angela called later to ask if I would join them for dinner that night. I agreed and asked if she needed me to bring anything. "Just yourself. I have a surprise for you though."

"Oh my god, you're pregnant," I asked excitedly.

"No, I'm not. Just…"

"You got a promotion?" I guessed again.

"I'm a teacher, what am I going to get promoted to?"

"I don't know, principal?"

"Just be at my house tonight, dress nice." And she hung up. _Dress nice? I always dress nice._ I wasn't going to change my clothes to go over there. I was wearing a black pencil skirt with a royal blue blouse, finished with my four inch Manolo's. This was as nice as it was going to get.

I tried to think what the surprise could be, but couldn't come up with anything. I dove back into my work until it was time for me to head over to Angela's house. I decided to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner. I arrived at her house and just walked in. "Hello…Angela?" I could hear some noise coming from the kitchen, so I headed in that direction. I turned the corner to see Angela and Ben moving around the kitchen. "Hey, I brought wine."

Suddenly an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me roughly. I let out a little yelp of shock and a voice whispered close to my ear. "Hi pumpkin, miss me?" I spun around quickly and pushed Edward away from me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked venomously.

"Surprise!" Angela said from behind me. I turned around and cut my eyes at her.

"What the hell Angela?" What did she think was going to happen? Was she expecting me to run into his arms?

"You didn't miss me?" Edward pouted. I ignored his question and turned back to my traitorous sister.

"Edward just moved here and I thought it would be nice if we all had dinner together," she said meekly.

"What do you mean moved here? Like to New Orleans?"

"Geez Bella, I didn't realize you were so dense. Keep up. I am now a proud citizen of the Crescent City. Shouldn't you be welcoming me or something?" Edward quipped with his arm around my shoulder.

"Shut up!" I shrugged his arm off of me. "He's here for dinner? Like with us, at the same table?" I looked at my sister expectantly.

"Yes, I am and maybe you should crack open this bottle of wine so you can relax a little," he said sweetly.

"I have a boyfriend," I blurted out suddenly. Everyone looked at me strangely. "Um, he works at a bank…and wears a suit…not women's clothes…and I have to meet him, so bye." I turned on my heel and made my way to the door. I could hear Edward laughing and Angela calling my name. I walked right out the house and didn't look back.

Footsteps approached me from behind. I knew it was Edward. I could smell him. Masculine but undertones of something sweet. "Bella wait, I'm sorry I was a jerk." I just kept walking. "Please stop. Bella, I was excited to see you. It made me nervous. I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "Just come back in…"

"I can't. I really do have to go. Tell Angie I'll call her later." I got in my car and left. I couldn't handle sitting across the table from Edward. He said he was excited to see me; I was excited to see him too. I couldn't deny the attraction I had for him, but he could be such an asshole. It was like he was two totally different people. The sweet, easy to talk to guy was usually masked by the cocky man whore, the latter of whom I couldn't stand. Besides, I'd embarrassed myself enough for one night.

And Angela, she was really confusing me with all of this. I don't know why she was pushing us together so much. She never tried to play match maker, that was Alice. I would have to let her know that Edward and I were never going to happen. We just didn't get along, didn't mesh well. There were things we had in common and of course the sex was magnificent, but he wasn't a person I could see myself with. That's a lie; I could see myself with him if my hands were wrapped around his neck or a pillow over his face.

I called Alice and told her to set me up with Mr. Banker. She was ecstatic. I didn't tell her why I had a sudden change of heart; I didn't want anyone to know. I would deny any and all assumptions that I was harboring some feelings for Edward. I barely knew him and didn't want to get to know him any better, so I would get to know someone else. That works doesn't it?

Mr. Banker, who turned out to be Tyler, emailed me the date information. A little impersonal, but whatever. He thought it would be best if we met at a coffee shop and take it from there. He told me what he would be wearing, which made me raise an eyebrow. Just from the tone of the email, he sounded extremely anal. But I would give it a shot; I would at least get a cup of coffee out of it.

I met Tyler the next day at a small coffee shop a few blocks from my home. I approached the good looking man wearing a light grey suit. He was sitting in the back corner of the café, reading a newspaper. I walked over to him and introduced myself. "Hi, Tyler?" He stood and extended his hand.

"Bella, nice to meet you. You look great. I went ahead and ordered you a coffee, because the way I drink coffee should be the only way anyone drinks it," he said proudly. I resisted rolling my eyes and sat down across from him.

"Um okay, what is it?" I smelled the coffee through the lid, waiting for him to answer.

"Venti vanilla latte, iced, five pumps, low fat with whip and a little hazelnut on top. I bet after you drink that, you won't order your coffee any other way." He sipped his coffee and let out a dramatic moan. _Pretentious coffee drinker, yay!_

I took a small sip of the coffee, it was okay. Nothing to call home about and I definitely wouldn't be ordering it again. Hell, I couldn't even remember what he said it was called. I would stick with my coffee with sugar and cream. Tyler was looking at me expectantly, so I gave a little nod in his direction. "Yum," I added. I leaned forward and asked Tyler about his day. I would come to find out this was a mistake.

"Well, I had to work a few hours this morning. I'm a loan processor, so Saturdays are usually pretty busy. A lot of people are in the market for new vehicles right now. That has probably been what 75% of the people applying for loans were looking for."

"I'm actually in the market for a new car, since my-"

"Yeah, I just bought a BMW M3 convertible. It's pretty awesome. I got a really great deal on it. You should take me with you when you're looking for a new car. It's proven that men get better deals on automobiles than women. I wouldn't want you getting ripped off." He gave me a wink, sounding like he would be doing me such a great favor.

"I don't think that would be necessary. My father-"I started. He interrupted again. _Wow, can't believe he is still single._

"My dad just moved to Colorado, did I tell you that already? He couldn't take the humidity anymore. My mom really didn't want to move, but he told her she could continue to live in this hot as hell city alone. So she ended up moving there. I'm looking to buy a cabin or something up there, you know just to get away. It would be a great investment. Do you invest, Bella?" He asked. I had started to tune him out and look around the coffee shop, so I was shocked that he was actually asking me a question.

"Oh, um, I don't really invest. Alice is more into-"

He cut me off AGAIN! _What is up with this guy? _"You should really think about your future Bella. You have to spend money to make it. That is what I tell all my friends. Even starting out small, it could really push you to the next level."

I had about just enough of this guy. I just nodded my head. He began talking again, _surprise surprise. _I just entertained myself looking at the other people entering and leaving the shop. There was a young girl typing away on her laptop and guy nodding his head along to whatever he was listening to through his headphones. I looked to the counter; the baristas were just standing around talking about an upcoming concert. My attention turned to the door and I desperately wished someone I knew would walk through the door and rescue me.

"-broke up. I don't think I could be with a woman who spent money so carelessly. I mean $300 shoes. How impractical." Tyler looked at me expecting me to agree with him. I just shrugged my shoulders. Truthfully, I own several pairs of shoes that cost that much. It's my money; I'll spend it as I wish. He must have taken my silence as agreement and started on a new topic. I resumed my people watching.

The bell on the door chimed and my head turned in that direction. Edward walked in and up to the counter. _Oh shit. _I slouched down in my seat a little, hoping he wouldn't notice me. But of course luck is never on my side. "Bella?" Edward asked, walking over to Tyler and me.

I smiled up at him. He looked great, wearing a black t-shirt, dark jeans and converse. His hair was in its usual state of disarray. My mouth watered a little. "Hello, Edward. What are you doing in this part of town?" I asked, trying to play nice.

"I live just down the road," he said his eyes moving between Tyler and I. "I'm meeting a realtor to look for a space to open a bar. I just started searching." As Edward was finishing, Tyler cleared his throat and looked at me expectantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Edward, Tyler. Tyler this is Edward," I introduced them.

"Tyler, the banker boyfriend who wears suits and not women's clothes? Nice to meet you." Edward said with a smirk. "Bella is a good friend of mine, we go way back."

"Way back, I just met you like six months ago. I wouldn't even say we are friends, acquaintances maybe." I corrected him.

"Acquaintances? I would say our relationship is more intimate than that…" he said sadly. I felt my face flush. "Looks like you remember what I'm talking about based on that blush. Well there's my realtor. See ya around Bella." He walked away, leaving me with my mouth hanging open in shock. _Bastard._

I turned my attention back to Tyler. He looked pissed off, like really pissed off. "Did he say boyfriend. Are you going around telling people I'm your boyfriend? This is the first time we've met, that is a little strange Bella. You're really nice, but I think I'm going to go." He was looking at me nervously, like I was going to freak out. Tyler walked out of the coffee shop, never turning his back to me.

Well I hoped for a savior, and got one. I could have done without the smart ass comments, but it got rid of Tyler none the less. I began my walk home and phoned Alice to let her know she sucked. She was great at many things, but setting people up was not one of them. She laughed when I recounted the details of the date, leaving out Edward of course. "It's not funny Alice, I think I said like ten words the entire time." She laughed some more and told me she wouldn't look for anymore guys to set me up with. I thanked her and told her I would talk to her later.

I walked up my steps and thought of something Edward said in the coffee shop. He said he lived around here. Around my neighborhood. I would probably see him all the time. We apparently would use the same coffee shop, who knows what else. The same grocery store, gas station, oh god, what if he was my neighbor? No, I would have noticed someone moving in over there. I guess I really needed to get over this tiff with Edward. I would definitely being seeing him again.

* * *

**A/N: As always all reviews get a teaser. Let me know if you guys would be interested in and Edward POV for any of the chapters already written. I know there will be EPOV in future chapters, but just wanted to know if you wanted to see anything from his point of view up until now. Let me know. ~Ashlei~**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Pardon Me

I didn't lie when I said I would be seeing Edward again. I saw him all the time. At one point I thought he was following me. He would randomly send me texts that said 'Look behind you,' and there he would be. Sitting in traffic, in line at the grocery store, at the dry cleaners. It freaked me the fuck out. I mean, New Orleans is not a small town. It was getting pretty strange to see him everywhere I went. Angela said it was fate pushing us together, I told her she needed her head examined.

I also had to sit down and eat a meal with him every Sunday night. Angela had always had a big dinner on Sundays and started inviting him. She would guilt trip me into coming and I would have to sit across from Edward while he desperately tried to ruffle my feathers. I think Ben and Angela just enjoyed watching us bicker back and forth. It was their weekly entertainment.

Angela even talked us all into going out a few times over the past couple of months. We would go check out different bars or clubs. Size up the competition, Edward would say. Everything would be going good until Edward would decide to flaunt his ability to find the sluttiest girl in the bar and attempt to suck her face off. I would drink lots and subtly fling insults at the disgusting pair. The girls were usually too dumb to realize I was insulting them anyway.

Tonight we had plans to meet at a pub to check out a local band. Usually we would all ride together and one of us would be the designated driver. But tonight Edward said he would meet us there, so it was just Angela, Ben and I. It was my turn to be DD but Angela offered instead. I thanked her profusely because I really wanted to get drunk. I had lost two clients to a new design firm in the area because they were looking for someone a little more experienced and apparently Esme Interiors could offer that. This company just opened a few weeks ago and was run by an older woman and her daughter. I promised I wouldn't let myself get upset about it, but I still really needed a drink.

We got to the pub and slid into a booth. I ordered a Jack and Coke and told the waitress to keep them coming. I had already had three and was working on my fourth when I leaned over and asked Angela where Edward was. She shrugged her shoulders. The band playing ended their first set, so I excused myself to the restroom. The line wasn't too bad and I decided to freshen up my lipstick while I was there. I looked really good tonight. Maybe I'd find a nice guy and have a little fun. _Yeah, because the one night stand thing worked so well for you last time. _

I walked out the restroom and saw that Edward had arrived. He must have broken some kind of record, because he already had some hooch sitting at our table. His taste must also be evolving because this girl didn't look as slutty as all the others. She was beautiful. Long blonde hair, nice rack which was mostly covered. Major improvement. But the skank was sitting in my seat and I was planning on letting her know, with the support of my fried Jack Daniels.

"Ms. Nasty of the night, you're in my seat." I said jerking my thumb back. Edward gave me the evil eye, _what else is new_. The blonde stood and Edward began to introduce us.

"Bella this is Rosalie, my-"

"-his date for the night. Nice to meet you Bella, Eddie has spoken of you before. He didn't mention how _polite_ you were though," she interrupted, stretching out her hand to give me a limp handshake. She was very tall, almost as tall as Edward. He put his arm around her shoulders, looking between the both of us as if he was about to break up a cat-fight.

"Give it a rest _Eddie_, you aren't worth the effort." I patted his chest and slid into the booth. Angela gave me a look and a mouthed 'be nice.' I just rolled my eyes and started on my fifth drink of the night. I was approaching that point when it comes to drinking that is just past tipsy and just before belligerent. Nobody likes Belligerent Bella, so I resolved this would be my last drink.

Edward was leaning close to the bimbo's ear, whispering. Probably the usual disgusting things he says to get these girls back to his place. "Where are you from Rosemary?" I asked, breaking the couple from their intimate chat.

"Rosalie," she corrected, "and I was born in Washington, but grew up in Chicago."

"Oh, Edward do you have panties from Washington yet? Or is it the state you sleep with the girl in?" I asked sweetly.

"Don't start Bella." Edward pleaded.

"I'm just curious; I want to know if you are any closer to reaching that goal?"

"What goal?" Rosalie asked, suddenly intrigued. A devious smile appeared on my face.

"Oh, he hasn't told you, he didn't tell me until after I made my contribution either. Let's see _Eddie_ here, collects panties. And his goal is to have a pair of panties from a woman he sleeps with in every state. I unfortunately, represent Louisiana." I said. Everyone around our table was looking at Edward in shock. And Edward, he looked pissed. Like really mad. This made me happy, so I continued. "So you see Rosalie, I was just wondering if the panties are collected by the woman's home state or where the actual sex takes place. Oh, I know, Mississippi isn't too far of a drive, you can take her there and fuck her." I started laughing hysterically and then decided I was going to go dance.

I pushed my way out of the booth and walked towards the stage where the band began playing again. I swayed along with the slow jazzy music, twisting my hips side to side. I felt someone approach me from behind and whispered in my ear, "Dance with me."

I slowly turned around and wrapped my arms around the tall man's shoulders. He pulled me close to him and began rocking us back and forth. "I'm Jacob," he introduced himself with a huge smile across his face. He was very good looking. Dark hair, tanned skin, great body. I ran my hands down his chest and over his arms, gripping his hands in mine.

"I'm Bella." I gave his hand a slight shake and he pulled me back in. He spun me around and I caught a glimpse of the table I just left. Things weren't looking so good for Edward. It looked like everyone was arguing and he kept throwing his hands in the air. I started peeking around Jacob's shoulder, trying to see what was going on. Edward was obviously trying to explain his side of the story and kept looking in my direction. Our eyes met once, and I quickly focused all my attention on Jacob. "Let's get a drink."

I pulled Jacob behind me, up to the bar. Ordered us a round, and sat down in his lap on one of the barstools. We sat there and talked for a while, had a few more drinks, and still my eyes were pulled towards that table. It seemed the argument had died down, now everyone sat silently watching the band. Edward and Rosalie were no longer huddled together intimately and I smiled to myself. I looked back a few seconds later, only to meet Edward's angry eyes focused on me. He was staring at me, looking extremely pissed off. I just smiled and pulled Jacob's head close to mine. "Kiss me," I asked.

His lips were on mine instantaneously. I kept my eyes open and stared in Edward's direction. He cut his eyes at me and pushed away from the table. I moaned when Jacob's tongue met mine. I lost track of where Edward went, as Jacob slid his hands down my back and pulled me closer to his body. Suddenly, I was not making out with Jacob anymore and not sitting on his lap. I was being pulled outside; Edward was walking so fast, I could barely keep up. The numerous drinks weren't helping either.

Once we reached the small courtyard in the back of the pub, Edward released his hold on my wrist. I rubbed the sore spot and shouted, "What the fuck Edward?"

"What are you doing?" he growled at me. Growled, seriously. I stumbled a little and leaned against the wall. Edward took a few steps in my direction and asked, "Bella, what the hell is your problem?"

"What are you talking about? I don't have a problem, but you do apparently."

"I do, I have a problem with you whoring yourself out to some guy you just met. Real classy."

I blew up. I crossed the line to Belligerent Bella and I was ready for a fight. "Whoring myself out. Really?"

"Well-"he started.

"No, you shut the fuck up. How could you call _me_ a whore? You are with a different girl every night we go out. You collect underwear for fuck's sake. And you call _me _a whore. You are such a dick. How dare you drag me out here and act like you have some authority over my life. What do you care?"

"I do care Bella," he said quietly.

"I'm sure you really care about getting your dick wet, I'm sure you really care about rubbing it in my face how many women you have been with, I'm sure you care about a lot of things concerning you. But you do not _care_ about me." I yelled.

"You sound bitter. And jealous."

"Oh my god! You are so fucking conceited. I hate to be the one to tell you Edward, but you are not that great. The sex wasn't that great." I stood with my hands on my hips, glaring at him.

"You're lying," he smirked and walked towards me. He placed his hands on either side of my head and moved in close to my face. "You know it was amazing. You know it was the best you've ever had. And I know you're lying, because it was the best I've ever had." He moved to kiss me and I ducked under his arms.

"You don't get to kiss me. You don't get to call me a whore and then kiss me. You don't get to bring some blonde bimbo with you tonight and kiss me. You don't get to kiss me ever again."

"Don't call my sister a bimbo." Edward said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're what?"

"See that's what your problem is Bella. You think you know everything. Have everyone pegged. You don't know anything. Rosalie is my sister, she and the rest of my family just recently moved here. Her husband had to work late tonight and she didn't want to sit at home alone," he shouted. "You don't know anything about me, because you have never tried to get to know me."

"Why would I want to? What with the baby mama drama, and the inter-state panty game, and making out with a different girl every night…right in front of my face. Please tell me why I would really want to get to know you. I would rather forget you."

"Fine, you want to forget me. Fine. But all this bullshit is on you. I tried, Bella. The 'baby mama drama' was out of my control. I didn't ask for that shit to happen and I explained all that to you. The panty shit was a joke. I don't collect underwear. I tried to tell you that night at your sister's house, but again, you wouldn't give me a chance. You already had me all figured out. You made me out to be a whore that way you wouldn't feel so bad about being a bitch and pushing me away. And then you get mad if I'm with another woman. Apparently that's what I do. Why does it piss you off?"

"It do-"

"I know why it pisses you off. Because you are a control freak. You don't want to let anyone in. Always making excuses and running off to hide when something happens that you can't control. That's why you ran away that morning after the wedding, and ran away that night at Angela's and you're running away now. Well I'm done chasing you. Have a nice fucking life, Bella." He stormed off, back into the bar. I stood there for a few minutes and let the tears fall.

After I got myself together, I walked back into the bar. I grabbed my things and caught a cab home. I took a shower and climbed into bed. I thought about everything Edward said. He was right. I never gave him a chance; I never gave anyone a chance. I began crying again and wished my mom was still alive. I know she would make me feel better. I hadn't always been this way. I remember in high school, I was free. I was spontaneous. I had a life.

After my parents died, I became hard. I couldn't control how or when they died, so I controlled everything else. I didn't want to let anyone in because I didn't want to lose them. The only people I had in my life were Angela and Alice. And Alice was only there because she forcefully pushed her way in.

I didn't want to be this way anymore, but I didn't know how to change it. Now I could see why Alice and Angela were always pushing me to put myself out there. Always setting me up. They could see it too. I guess my strong, independent woman façade was totally transparent. Everyone could see through me. They wanted me to be happy. Angela had Ben, and Alice would find someone eventually. And I would be alone.

I would change. I ruined any chance I had with Edward, but I wouldn't let it happen again. The next time I met someone, I would let myself go. Free myself. I continued to cry until I fell asleep.

I woke the next morning to my phone ringing. The bright light hitting my eyes made me groan. I was hung-over. Extremely hung-over. I squeezed my eyes shut and willed away the dizziness. My phone started ringing again and I reached over to my bedside table to retrieve it. "Hello?" My voice was scratchy and thick with sleep. I felt like I had a hundred cotton balls shoved in my mouth.

"Bella, are you okay? Edward told us what happened, he feels awful. And you made quite an impression on his sister, let me tell you." Angela said loudly.

"Why are you yelling? And why are you calling so early. I think I'm going to throw up." I put my pillow over my face and breathed shallowly through my nose. I could hear Angela calling my name through the phone. "Stop yelling." I pleaded.

"I'm not yelling, dumbass. Are you okay? Edward said you guys got into it pretty bad last night."

"Edward and I had a fight?" I didn't remember a fight; I remember going out and Edward's _date_, which was his sister? Then I kissed someone…then Edward called me a whore. And he said he was done chasing me. _Pft, he was done chasing me, whatever. I never asked him to chase me. Asshole._ Angela was trying to get my attention again. "Sorry Angela, I remember now. He called me a whore. He's a douchebag."

"Bella, he feels really bad. And you aren't exactly innocent in all this. You have been antagonizing him for months."

"Whatever Angela. He should feel bad, because I feel like shit. And whose side are you on anyway. You're _my_ sister; you should kick him in the balls for calling your baby sister a whore." I whined.

"You aren't a baby anymore, Bella. You're a grown up whose acting like a baby. You were both drunk, things got heated, you both said some things you may have not meant. Grow up and acknowledge your part in all of this," she lectured.

"I meant everything I said to him. I'm tired, I'm going back to sleep. I'll talk to you later."

"Wait, are you coming over tomorrow? You know it's mine and Ben's anniversary and we wanted to have a bbq out by the pool. Could you make your potato salad?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there. Wait is _he_ going to be there?"

"Yes, Bella. Edward will be there. And so will his family, so please don't cause a scene," she said hopefully.

"Of course not, Angela. What kind of person do you think I am?" I said, slightly offended. She hung up after stating her goodbyes.

I wouldn't cause a scene. Because I was going to ignore Edward. I would ignore the hell out of him. I wasn't even going to acknowledge that he was there. But I needed to go shopping, because even if I was going to ignore him, I was going to make damn sure it was impossible for him to ignore me.

I picked up my phone and called Alice. She was going to meet me at the Macy's in an hour. That meant I needed to get dressed and get rid of this hangover, quickly. I met her at the entrance and she gave me a quick hug. "You look like shit, hunny," she said leading us into the store.

"I feel like shit. Last night was terrible, I had way too much to drink, Edward and I fought, and the night was just a total suckfest. I'll tell you about it while we shop; I need a new bathing suit." We walked along looking in the different departments as I recounted the events of last night.

"I really need to meet this Edward. I can't believe you have been hung up on this guy for a year now and I have never even met him." Alice responded.

"I'm not hung up on him. I told you, he pisses me off, makes me crazy. I don't like him like that."

"Whatever you say, Bella. Y'all wouldn't fight and bicker so passionately if there weren't feelings involved. You need someone to shake you up, get you outside that box you're cooped up in."

"Okay Oprah. If you want to meet him, why don't you come tomorrow? You can be my date." I smiled a cheesy grin at her and wiggled my eyebrows.

"Bella, I've told you before you're not my type. I like blondes. I can't anyway; I'm going to see my mom tomorrow."

"Fine, make me go alone. Feed me to the wolves, but first help me find a hot swim suit. I want to be smoking tomorrow. Maybe make Edward feel some of the crazy he makes me feel." I said. We walked off in that direction and I ended up leaving the store with four bags. I couldn't wait until Edward saw me. I would make him regret the words he said to me last night. I was pulling out the big guns, aka my boobs.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hey Baby

I arrived at Angela's house early to help her set up everything. When I walked into the house she let out a loud whistle. "Whoa, hot mama."

"What, this old thing?" I questioned innocently.

"You aren't as clever as you think you are sister dear. Remember you learned all your tricks from me." She gave me a wink and led me into the kitchen. I put the large bowl of potato salad in the fridge. I asked Angela what I could do and she told me to start chopping some fresh fruit. I began with the strawberries, popping one into my mouth every now and then. Ben came in from the patio where he was starting the grill.

"Jesus Bella, are you trying to kill my best friend. He is going to have an aneurysm when he sees you." Ben said after pecking Angie on the cheek.

"Just want to give him a peek of what he can't have." I replied, popping another strawberry in my mouth.

"Don't be too hard on him Bella, he really feels bad about the other night. He's not a bad guy," he said before walking back outside. I finished slicing all the fruit and walked upstairs to the bathroom. While I was washing my hands, I heard the doorbell. I rushed out and watched from the top of the stairs as Edward and his family entered the house. The blonde from last night was standing next to a massive man holding a big bouquet of flowers. That must be her husband. There was also an older couple, which was obviously Edward's parents. They were a beautiful couple. The mother had passed on her caramel and rust colored hair to Edward and the father passed his blonde to their daughter. Edward's mother held a bottle of champagne along with a small wrapped gift in her hands. Edward was introducing everyone, handshakes and smiles all around.

I began walking down the stairs and all attention was drawn to me. I saw the huge guy nudge Edward and whisper in his ear. He nodded and continued to stare. I reached the bottom of the staircase and stood next to Angela. Since Edward was still staring open mouthed at me, she decided to continue the introductions. "This is my sister Bella. Bella these are Edward's parents, Carlisle and Esme. His sister Rosalie and her husband Emmett. But you already met her. But that was kind of awkward, so let's pretend that this is the first time you've met her." She gave a nervous little laugh and Ben pulled her to his side.

I reached out to shake everyone's hand but as I got to Esme, she pulled me into a tight hug. It caught me off guard and was a whole lot of weird, but I gave her a little squeeze back. She reminded me a lot of Alice. "I'm sorry dear, I've just heard a lot about you. I feel as if I know you already." She smiled widely and turned her attention back to my sister. I think she must be on some kind of medication or something.

I had still not acknowledged Edward standing there next to me. The group started making their way to the kitchen, but I hung back. I noticed Edward hadn't moved yet either. He leaned down to say something to me and instead of listening to whatever sarcastic comment he was about to relay, I walked away. I was going to be the bigger person; I didn't want him to bait me into a conversation that would turn into an argument. _Who am I kidding; I just wanted to make him crazy._

Everyone migrated to the back yard, where Angela and Ben had quite an impressive spread. Ben's mom showed up, along with a few aunts and uncles of Angela and mine. Everything turned out really nice. We ate and chatted with everyone. Edward's family was really nice and easy to get along with. His brother-in-law was the life of the party, entertaining everyone at the table. He coached college football and recently got a job as the defensive coach for the LSU Tigers.

I could feel Edward staring at me while I talked to my Aunt Elsie. I devoted all my attention to her, even though all she ever talked about was her doctor's appointments, the different medication she was taking and how difficult it was for her to use the bathroom regularly. But to Edward, I hoped it looked like it was the most interesting conversation I had ever been included in.

Once everyone was finished, I helped Angela clean everything up, while all the other guests moved to the pool. I heard Emmett's loud voice before a large splash. We finished putting away all the left-overs and walked out to the pool. All the older guests were sitting around the outside of the water, a few just getting their feet wet. I walked over to one of the lounge chairs and removed my shorts and tube top, revealing my new bikini. Once again, I could feel Edward's eyes on me and once again I didn't acknowledge him. I dove into the pool and swam underwater to the other side. Once I surfaced, I adjusted my top to ensure everything was still covered.

I swam over to Angela and Ben who were sitting in the shallow end talking. They quieted when I got close and shared a look. "What's up guys?" I asked.

"Nothing, just talking about setting up the net for some volley ball. You game?" Ben spit out quickly.

"Sure, as long as I'm not on butthead's team." I gave a pointed look in Edward's direction. Not surprisingly he was still looking in my direction. Guess this swim suit was doing the trick, one point for Bella.

"Real mature Bella," Angela said, rolling her eyes. Ben asked the Cullen clan if they wanted to play. Everyone was game and Rosalie called out that we should play guys against girls. Emmett started laughing, along with a few chuckles from Ben and Edward.

"Babe, that wouldn't exactly be fair. I'll take two of you girls and Ben and Edward will take the other. It will make for a better game that way," he said condescendingly. Rosalie lifted an eyebrow at him after his remark and got him flustered. "Okay, okay. Guys against girls." _Wow I need to learn how to do that. _

Ben finished with the net and jumped back into the pool. The guys formed a little huddle, looking over in our direction every few seconds. Rosalie joined our side of the pool with a look of pure determination. She pulled us into a circle and began strategizing. "Okay ladies, we're going to kick some ass. What are your strong points?" Rosalie looked at Angela and me expectantly.

"Oh, um, we both played in high school." Angela said.

"Great, okay what are their weaknesses," she asked hooking a thumb at the guys behind her. "Emmett has a bad knee and from his football days."

"How is that going to help us?" Angela asked.

"I don't know, just information that may come in handy. We all know what Edward's weakness is. Anything about Ben we should know about?" Rosalie was out for blood. She wasn't messing around. By the tone of her voice you would think we were in the last quarter of the Super Bowl and our team was down a few points. I loved it.

"Um, he isn't wearing his glasses. He won't be able to see anything too far away."

"Good, we can definitely use that to our advantage. Okay, it looks like they have Emmett serving first. I'll serve first for us. Alright ladies, let's do t his." We all started moving to our positions, before I remembered something I wanted to ask.

"Wait," I said walking back over to Rosalie. "What is Edward's weakness?"

"You. Now get over there."

I turned around and smiled wickedly. This would be really fun. I stood on the opposite side of the net from Edward. After feeling his eyes on me for the millionth time today, I decided to stretch a little. After all, I didn't want to pull a muscle. I reached my arms behind my back, pushing my chest out a little. Stretching a little more until I was sure that there was a little drool at the corner of Edward's mouth.

Carlisle flipped a coin, giving the ladies the ball first. Rosalie tossed the ball in the air and her fist came back forcefully, smashing the ball to the other side of the pool. Emmett jumped and was able to recover the ball. He tapped it lightly, sending it in my direction. I hopped up and slammed the ball down right in front of Edward's face. He looked around shocked.

"What the hell Edward? Get you head in the game." Emmett bellowed. Edward shrugged and tried to concentrate. I gave him a smug look and switched positions with Angela. The game continued in that manner. The girls dominating, viciously taking advantage of the guys' weakness. Emmett was pissed. He couldn't believe we were whooping them so badly. The game ended on a bloody note, when Rosalie spiked the ball directly at Edward's face, busting his nose.

"Oh my god, Edward. Are you okay?" Rosalie asked, not sounding very concerned.

"Damn, baby, you owned his ass." Emmett said jovially. I couldn't help but snicker at his comment but stopped when Edward looked up and cut his eyes at me. I told him I would take him to the bathroom and help him get cleaned up. He followed behind me, cupping his nose tightly. I grabbed his hand and told him to lift his head, trusting me to lead the way. I chuckled at the disbelieving look on his face.

"Come on Edward, you think I'm going to run you into a door or something. I wouldn't kick you while you're down." He warily grabbed my hand and I lead him to the small half bathroom off the kitchen.

He sat down on the toilet while I gathered some supplies. I wet a wash cloth with warm water to wipe away the blood that was smeared on his face and chest. I gently removed all the blood from his face and slowly ran the cloth across his toned chest. He took in a deep breath and I could see his muscles tense. Breaking myself from the daze I was in, I reached over and grabbed a few tissues for his nose. I crouched between his legs and pulled his face down so I could see if there was any bruising. Edward's eyes snapped open and his beautiful green eyes met mine. I could feel his breath on my face while my breathing momentarily stopped. I stuttered out, "I-I wanted to see if it's bruised."

He didn't respond just stared through me. After a few moments of silence, he said quietly, "I'm sorry Bella. I was out of line last night. I have no claim on you and I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. It just pissed me off seeing that guy's hands on you and I snapped. I took it out on you and I'm sorry."

I blinked a few times, shocked by his sincerity. "Uh, I'm sorry too. I said some ugly things and although most of them were true, I'm sorry. Especially what I said about your sister. She's awesome, even more so now that she made you bleed."

"Yeah, she seems to like you too. For what reason, I don't know." He laughed.

"Hey, I have some likable qualities."

"Hmm, you should show me some day," he joked. Without either of our knowledge our faces moved closer to each other. Just before our lips met, Edward cleared his throat, "We should probably get back out there."

"O-kay." I said confused. I thought we were having a moment there and he totally shut me down. Edward stood and walked out the bathroom. He turned and asked if I was coming. I lifted myself from the floor and followed him out.

"This is a really nice house. Did you decorate everything?" Edward asked, as we entered back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, well Angela really had a clear idea of what she wanted, I just made it happen." I looked around the area. It really was beautiful, very chic and perfectly Angela.

"This looks like a room my mom would design."

"Really? Does she dabble in decorating?" I asked. I couldn't remember her ever mentioning what she did, so I figured she was retired like her husband.

"No, she's a professional. For the last twenty something years. She started doing it when we were younger, just to keep herself busy, but she really enjoys it. Then she pulled Rosalie in the business. They just opened an office here in town." Edward said casually.

Suddenly it clicked. Esme Cullen. Esme Interiors. Son of a bitch. Of course it would be Edward's mother who would be my only real competition in New Orleans. "Hmm, that's strange that you never mentioned that before." I said suspiciously.

"Are you sure I've never said anything? I'm pretty sure I've said something before. I know I talked to Ben and Angela about it. It's cool, now you know."

"Actually it's not cool. I've talked about clients in front of you. Two of which, I just recently lost to your mother." I stood with my hands on my hips, eyebrows raised, ready to bloody his nose again. I can't believe he would sabotage me. I knew our "relationship" was usually tense, but this was my career. My lively hood.

"Come on Bella, you don't actually think I would sell you out to my mother. I don't know anything about what jobs she is working on or how she gets them. Give me a little credit here." Edward said with a pained expression on his face.

"Give _you_ a little credit. Oh yeah, sure. It is all just a little too convenient, Edward. You were playing me." I walked past him and out the door. Everyone was out of the pool and sitting around the fire pit, talking. I wrapped a towel around myself, then sat down next to my sister.

Angela leaned over and asked, "You get Edward all fixed up?"

"Yeah, but I wish Rosalie would have broken his nose." I replied angrily. She gave me a look and I started talking before she could even get anything out of her mouth. "I don't want to talk about it right now. Today is about you and Ben. Let's just enjoy the rest of the night."

Edward walked towards the group and sat down next to Emmett. I kept my head down, staring at the fire. Angela and Ben stood next to me. Ben wrapped his arm around Angela's waist and looked down at her with a huge smile on his face. "Umm, we just wanted to thank everyone for coming over today to celebrate our anniversary. I can't believe a year has gone by so fast. But before everyone leaves, we wanted to tell everyone that we found out last week, that…Angela's pregnant." Ben finished excitedly.

Everyone jumped up with excited screams and congratulations. "Oh my god Angela! You're going to have a baby." I pulled her to me tightly. I was so happy for her. I knew she always wanted a bunch of kids. She and Ben would be excellent parents. I would be an aunt. "When are you due?"

"The beginning of February," she said, rubbing her still flat stomach. I gave her another tight hug and then moved over to Ben. He was in a tight embrace from his mother and I think she may have been crying. I quickly gave him my congratulations and found my seat to watch everyone celebrate.

Lost in my thoughts of what was the earliest I could start shopping for this baby, Edward approached me. He kneeled down beside me and whispered in my ear, "Can we talk for a second?" I nodded and followed him into the house. When we reached the kitchen, he stopped and turned around to face me. "Bella, I just really want to make you understand that I would never sell you out to my mother. I wouldn't do that to you, or to anyone for that matter. I know your business is important to you and I would just never do that. I'm sorry for making you think that…gah I feel like I'm always apologizing to you."

"It's really fine, Edward. It's not important. I overreacted and jumped to conclusions." I said. "But I do think we need to talk about this thing between us." He gave me a confused look, so I continued on. "This weird sexual tension thing. I think we need to let that go. Just forget everything that happened in the past and just be friends. I think once that is gone, we won't fight and bicker so much. What do you think?"

"Umm, yeah, I guess." His eyebrows were pulled close together, as if he was really thinking through what I said.

"I mean, Angie and Ben are having a baby. We are definitely going to be seeing each other on a regular basis. And I don't want to be stressed out thinking that every time we get together there is going to be a fight. You know?"

"Yeah, I get it. So we'll just be friends then?"

"Totally, it will be much easier now. You'll see." I said confidently. This would work, right? I couldn't help but feel a little sadness, knowing that I would never get to touch him or kiss him again. Then again, we couldn't keep going on this way. I was tired of all the fighting and misunderstandings and the apologizing. This would work.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews, alerts and favorites. I love them all.**

**Don't forget pictures are in my profile. Hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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Chapter 7

Oil and Water

Angela's pregnancy was progressing perfectly. She was now 32 weeks along and had about two months left until we got to meet Morgan Renee. I was so excited, I could hardly contain myself. I probably should have bought stock in the local baby boutique. As soon as Angela found out she would be having a girl I started to design her nursery. I was planning on letting that be my shower gift to her, but I couldn't stop buying every girly outfit, shoes, and hair bows I saw. At the rate I was going, Angela and Ben wouldn't even need to have a baby shower. But I couldn't help it. I was thrilled that I would become an aunt.

Angie was so beautiful pregnant. I've heard of the pregnancy glow, but Angela had it multiplied by ten. She was radiant. She looked so cute, always resting her hand on top of her baby bump. Ben was extraordinary throughout. He went to every doctor's appointment, indulged in every craving and endured her crazy mood swings. My love and respect for Ben increased just by seeing how much he cared for my sister.

Despite all my overzealous buying, I was throwing a surprise baby shower today. Alice and I planned everything without my sister ever suspecting a thing. Ben helped me get all the ladies that Angela worked with invited. Along with a few members of our family and Edward's mom and sister, we had about thirty to forty people expected.

Alice was a great party planner. She came up with a spa theme for the shower and we really ran with it. We were having some local massage therapists and estheticians come to Angela's house to give her and the guests massages and facials. We also had someone there doing manicures and pedicures. Alice contacted a caterer about the food and would be offering light sandwiches and a huge selection of deserts. Angela's favorite bakery was making a huge cake using the colors of the nursery. It turned out gorgeous. We decorated Angela's living room simply. Adding a few plants and some small fountains and we bought tons of aromatherapy candles, placing them all around the room. It was very relaxing.

Everything was set up and ready, I was just waiting on everyone to arrive. Edward's family was the first to show up, followed closely by everyone else. Rosalie and Alice got along great, but Alice got along with everyone. There wasn't really anywhere she went without having a lengthy conversation with someone. I spoke with Esme for a few moments, carefully avoiding any topic involving Edward. She seemed to see through my attempts and told me that he was putting the finishing touches on his bar and should be opening in a few months. I told her to pass on my congratulations.

Angela finally arrived and saved me from anymore awkward conversation with Esme. I had Ben take her to lunch to get her out of the house while we set everything up. She walked in and screamed when she saw everyone standing there. She said she had no idea. Angela mingled around the party talking to everyone while they enjoyed the food and began making the rounds at the different spa stations.

My sister was currently enjoying a foot massage and looked as if she would fall asleep at any moment. . I decided to go keep her awake while I waited for my turn in the manicure chair. "Hey sis, those eyes are looking heavy."

"Oh, Bella," she started, "this is so great. You didn't have to do all this."

"Of course I did. I want you to be very relaxed and stress free for these last two months you've got."

"How did you do all this without me knowing?" she asked.

"Ang, I'm a party planning ninja. Well actually Alice helped a lot. She's the real ninja, I'm just her apprentice. She planned the whole spa theme and it took off from there."

"Well thank you so much. You're the best sister."

"I don't' know about that, but I'm pretty awesome." I replied.

"If you really want to be totally awesome you could get you poor swollen sister one of each of those deserts," she said hopefully. I raised my eyebrows in shock. One of each? There were like thirty different things up there and she just ate lunch with Ben. "Don't look at me like that."

I threw my hands up in defeat and got up to get her smorgasbord of sweets. I ended up having to get two plates to carry everything. "I seriously don't know where you are putting all this. You're all baby. She is going to come out the size of a two year old."

"God I hope not," Angela sighed as she stuffed her face.

After everyone had participated in all the spa activities, we started to open the presents. Alice kept track of what everyone brought for Angela. She got so much stuff. Tons of diapers and clothes and blankets and bottles. I pretty sure she won't have to buy anything for Morgan the whole first year. She also got some things for her and Ben. Gift certificates for restaurants, and babysitting coupons and one of her co-workers gave her some really nice nightgowns to wear in the hospital.

Once Angela cut the cake we all went upstairs to check out the nursery. It would be the first time that Angela had seen it complete. When the door opened, there was a loud gasp from the group and Angie turned on the tears.

"Bella this is perfect!" She walked in and looked around the room. I had the walls painted a light beige color with a large mural painted on one. It was a painting of a ballet studio with a few little girls in tutus. A big chandelier hung from the ceiling with papery pink flowers clustered on the arms. The round crib was an antique white with pale pink and green bedding. A large overstuffed glider sat in the corner, waiting for a baby to be rocked. Angela approached me and gave me a huge hug. She looked around for a while longer as the party started to die down.

Everyone said their goodbyes and Alice and I started cleaning up everything. I could tell that Angela was exhausted, so I ordered her to go take a nap while we finished up. "Edward's mom and sister were really nice," Alice said.

"Yea, they are. Even if they are the competition."

"So how are things going between you and Edward?"

"Pretty much non-existent. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago to get his mom's contact information for the shower. That was the first time I had spoke with him in months. I guess he wasn't interested in being friends." I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

Alice thankfully let the subject drop. It wasn't something I wanted to talk about. I didn't know what happened between Edward and me truthfully. We agreed that we would be friends and then just stopped talking all together. I knew he was still hanging out with Ben and Angela, but they didn't mention anything and neither did I.

The first couple of months after our "friendship pact", it seemed like he was avoiding me. Whenever Ben and Angela would make plans for all of us to do something, he would back out when he found out I was going. But when I was busy and couldn't make it, he was free and would show up. I took it personally at first but then I figured maybe he had met someone and was devoting all his attention to her. When I thought about that I ignored the pang of jealousy I felt in my stomach and played it off as indigestion. Just because we were "friends", didn't mean that I wanted to see him with someone else.

Maybe he was just busy. His mom did make it a point to let me know that he had been working on opening his bar. Whatever the reason, we weren't friends and we weren't enemies. We just weren't anything now. I think I would have preferred us fighting to not talking at all. I continued to mull over how crazy that statement sounded in my head. We finished picking everything up and putting away all the presents Angela got, saving her from having to do it. Alice and I left, planning on seeing each other at work on Monday.

The next couple of months flew by. Angela was a week over her due date and getting pretty miserable. We had tried every old wives' tale to get her labor started. Long walks, elevators, spicy food, you name it we tried it. Miss Morgan was content to stay right where she was and it was evident that someone would have to go in and get her. Angela's doctor had planned to induce her labor the following day, unless she went into labor on her own. She and Ben were so ready to become parents.

The following morning, Angela was admitted to the hospital. The doctor started her on a drug to get the contractions going. At first she was doing great, sitting up talking and laughing with Ben and me. But after the doctor broke her water and the hours passed, the contractions were getting stronger and stronger while she held my hand a little tighter and tighter. I asked Ben if she was planning on getting any pain medication, and he just shook his head.

Around noon, Edward came to the room, along with Ben's mom. Angela was taking a little nap, so everyone was greeted with hushed whispers. Martha, Ben's mom, asked me about her progress. I told her she was still only about seven centimeters dilated and still had a little ways to go. I stood to give her my chair next to Angela's bed. She instantly grabbed my sister's hand and rubbed tiny circles with her thumb.

I looked towards the other side of the room, where Ben and Edward stood talking quietly. Ben looked so worried and stressed out, wringing his hands in front of him. Edward put an arm around his shoulders and gave him a little pat on the back. Ben calmed a little and took his seat next to his wife. I sat on the small loveseat. Edward looked around the room awkwardly, until finally sitting down next to me.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey."

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in a while." He spoke the words with regret in his voice. I wanted to ask him what the fuck happened. That he would know how I was doing if he ever bothered to call me. I wanted to ask what kept him away for so long and what happened to us being friends. And I desperately wanted to ask if he was seeing someone. But today was not the day for any of those questions. Today was about my sister having her first baby, so I pushed all those questions down and just answered simply.

"I've been good. Busy, you know with everything." I said, motioning to Angela.

"Yeah, I've been really busy too. My bar should be opening in about a month. It has been a lot of work to get everything together." It was the response I had expected to hear, but his face told another story. He looked sad. I didn't know why he would be sad; it was his choice to stop talking to me. I had made the effort.

"That's good. I'm happy for you."

"Bella-" he was cut off by Angela suddenly lifting her head and looking around the room. She looked frantic and told Ben to get the doctor. As he raced from the room, I fled to Angie's side again.

"I feel like I need to push. I think I need to push." She said, her voice shaking with fear.

"No, don't push. Don't push. Cross your legs or something. You have to wait for the doctor." I started to panic. _Where the hell is the doctor? _I looked toward Edward and he looked more panicked than I did. He had his hands in his hair, making it stand on end. I giggled a little at the sight and was met with a death glare from Angela.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?" she yelled.

"I-I'm not laughing. I had a tickle in my throat." I replied quickly. Then Edward let out a little snort. Angela's head whipped around so fast, she could have been a stunt double for Linda Blair.

"Is there something I'm missing here? Should I be finding humor in the fact that I'm about to push a person out of my body? Please let me know, because nothing about this is even remotely funny." She spit out between her clenched teeth. "And where the fuck is the doctor? This baby is clawing its way out and he's on a fucking coffee break."

"Oh my!" Ben's mother said shocked. She covered her mouth with her hand and started to rock back and forth a little. I pursed my lips together tightly to keep the bubble of laughter from spilling out. I knew Angela would have no qualms about kicking me out of the room and I didn't want that.

"It's okay sweetie, Ben is getting him. Do you want some ice chips or a cool rag for your face?" I asked, trying to be helpful.

"Do I look like I want ice chips Bella? I just want this baby out." Just as the words came from her mouth, Ben rushed back into the room. Thankfully with the doctor in tow. "And where the hell have you two been? Did you go play a round of golf?" Ben sputtered out a no as the doctor and the nurses rushed around the room. I unfortunately couldn't hold onto my laughter anymore. It burst out of me in a loud guffaw and Edward was right behind me. Once it started, it couldn't be stopped. "Fucking Tweedledee and Tweedledum, you can excuse your sorry asses to the waiting room." Angela pointed her finger at Edward and me, then pointed to the door.

"I'm sorry Angela. I've just never seen you this way. I won't laugh anymore." I pleaded.

"That's because I've never been in labor, dumbass. Just go, Ben will get you once the doctor stops dicking around and delivers my baby!" She gripped the side of the bed tightly and growled.

"Okay, Angie, I'll wait outside. Just send someone to get me if you change your mind." I slowly made my way to the door, Edward right behind me. Once the door was shut, I turned around and faced Edward. We both busted out laughing again.

"Wow, that was some scary shit." Edward said, catching his breath.

"I know. I don't think I have ever heard her swear so much." We walked around the corner to the waiting room, stopping at the nursery. There were a few babies through the window, wrapped tightly in pink and blue blankets. They were so cute with their little hats on, all bundled up. "When I have kids, I'm definitely getting drugs."

"You want kids?"

"Sure, I mean in the future. Not right now or anytime soon. But one day." I smiled at the sleeping babies through the glass.

"Well when that day comes, I'll make sure you have plenty of drugs." Edward said, smiling down at me.

"Oh, you're going to be there?" I raised an eyebrow at him while waiting for his response. What an odd thing for him to say. We have barely spoken for almost a year and then he says he's going to be there when my babies are born? _I'm reading too much into that._

Edward was flustered for a moment before finally answering my question. "Come on Bella, you know you want to have my green eyed babies."

I barked out a laugh. "Why would I want babies with Tweedledum?"

"I'm not Tweedledum, you are," he laughed.

"I'm totally Tweedledee, Edward."

"Okay, I'll be Tweedledum. He was the good looking one anyway."

"You're insane. Let's go see if our niece is here yet." I said walking back to Angela's room.

Just as we were walking in the room, Ben was walking out. "I was just coming to get you guys."

"Oh, I thought she kicked you out too." Edward said from behind me. I stopped Ben before he pulled back the small curtain blocking the door.

"How is she Ben? Give it to me straight, has she lost her mind? Will I have to cope with her totally inappropriate swearing for the rest of my life?" I asked seriously, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I can hear you, heifer." Angela called from the room.

"I guess so." I said sadly. I pulled the curtain with a huge smile on my face. There was my sister, sitting in bed holding the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. Morgan was wrapped tightly in Angela's arms. I rushed over to her side, "Oh Ang, she's perfect."

"I know, she has mom's nose. You see?" she said, her voice thick with emotion. Looking down at the sleeping baby, my eyes started to water and I just silently nodded, holding back my tears. She handed the small bundle over to me. I awkwardly took her, making sure to support her head.

Ben walked over and sat on the edge of Angela's bed. He leaned over and placed a small kiss on her temple. My tears were falling freely then as Edward leaned over my shoulder to peek at Morgan. "She looks a lot like you," he said in my ear. "Does it make you want to rethink your plan to wait? Because we can go get started on making one right now." I punched his shoulder, pushing him away from me slightly but never taking my eyes away from my niece. "Seriously, there is an empty room next door."

"Shut up, ass. I'm admiring my niece." I said laughing.

"Language Bella! And you're admiring your Godchild." Angela chastised.

"Oh really, _you're_going to say something about my language?" I said, rolling my eyes. "Wait, what? Godchild? Aww, are you making me her Godmother?" The tears started pooling in my eyes again.

"Yeah, Ben and I talked about it and we want you and Edward to be the Godparents," she responded.

"I'm going to be the Godfather. That's awesome. Thanks guys." Edward said coming back to stand next to me. He motioned for me to hand over Morgan and I complied. I had hogged her for long enough. Edward held her like a pro. Not awkward at all. And I think my attraction to him shot through the roof. I still knew that I didn't want kids anytime soon, but suddenly Edward's plan to go over to the next room and practice, didn't sound like such a bad plan.

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**Next chapter is the prologue. Get ready. ~Ashlei~**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you everyone for all the reviews, alerts and favorites. Keep it up, they make me smile!**

**Hope everyone likes this chapter. It's an Edward POV. Yay!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Chapter 8

Back Against the Wall

EPOV

I entered my home cautiously after finding my front door unlocked. My eyes scanned around my living room, looking for a sign of an intruder. I heard a sound coming from my bedroom, so I started walking in that direction. Approaching the door, I saw a piece of clothing on the floor. Bending down to retrieve it, I held it up to examine the cloth. A dress, a dark purple dress. I don't think I've ever known a robber to break in and leave something instead of taking something.

I pushed open my bedroom door and could hear the shower running. _Someone broke into my house to take a shower._ I walked into the steam filled bathroom and saw a silhouette of a figure through the foggy glass door. "About time you got here," a soft feminine voice called. The shower door pushed open to reveal a very naked and very wet Bella. My brain went into overdrive as my body reacted to the sight. I stood with my jaw slack just staring at her nude form. "Are you going to join me or just stare?" she asked, her voice dripping with seduction.

"What…how…?" I stumbled over my words. I had been thinking about and wishing I would get to see Bella this way for so long and now that she was here, in my shower, naked, I was frozen. Once my brain started to recover from the shock, I quickly removed all my clothes and stepped into the warm spray. Bella's hands were on my body immediately.

"Mmm, I've been thinking about you so much Edward. Thinking about that night we were together. I think I have touched myself every night since then, remembering your hands on me," she said as she stroked me.

"Holy shit, Bella, I've wanted you for so long." I groaned, running my hands down her back.

"Then take me," she responded with a smile.

I jolted upright in my bed, after hearing my phone blasting Cage the Elephant. _Fuck! That was a good dream._ I tried desperately to ignore my phone, closing my eyes tightly hoping to see that naked brunette again. I wasn't having any luck. "Hello." I said tersely into my phone.

"Edward, man, what's up?"

"I was sleeping. What'd you need?" I asked Jasper. I met him about six months ago when his band was playing at a bar downtown. He had a cool sound, so I approached him about possibly playing in my bar once it was finished. We hung out a few times since then and were becoming pretty good friends.

"Sorry, I just wanted to confirm the time you want me and the guys there tonight. Still about 6:30?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. There isn't anyone else scheduled for tonight, so you won't have to wait."

"Okay, just checking. See you later," he said in goodbye. After hanging up with him, my mind immediately went back to that dream. It wasn't uncommon for me to dream of Bella, I have been dreaming of her for the past two years. Ever since that night. The night I had her in my bed, underneath me, writhing and moaning my name. I've wanted her back there ever since.

Unfortunately, it would never happen again. I don't know what happened to me when I was around her. I just always said the wrong thing, the stupidest, most idiotic things. But I could always get a reaction from her. Maybe that's why I kept messing up. I knew as long as I got her heart pumping and her breathing labored, it was a win for me. Even if it was just because she was really pissed off. She was at least responding to me.

The truth was I really liked Bella. I liked her a lot. I wanted to be able to touch her and hold her and kiss her whenever I wanted. She was so different from any other girl I had ever been with, which despite what I made Bella believe, wasn't that many. And I don't know why I made her think that. I guess insecurity or stupidity were to blame. _God, I had made so many mistakes with her. _

She is just such a strong person. And slightly intimidating even with her small stature. I always felt the need to over compensate for something and that was usually when my cocky attitude came out. I just couldn't be straight with her. But it wasn't all me. Bella had some blame in all this. She wasn't trusting and felt the need to be in control of every situation. So many of our misunderstandings were due to Bella jumping to conclusions and being too stubborn to wait for an explanation.

I remembered back to the night that we had a huge blow up at a bar. I antagonized her for weeks, throwing different women in her face, thinking that she would be jealous. Didn't quite work out that way and why I thought it would, I have no idea. Bella would just sit back and make passive aggressive remarks in my direction. I would go home every night frustrated and alone. None of these women were anything compared to Bella.

But that night, she forced me to react the exact way I had hoped she would all along. After telling my sister about the comment I made about her panties, Bella fled from our table and into the arms of some overgrown asshole. He had his arms wrapped around her and a look on his face that I wanted to remove with my fist. I knew what she was trying to do, rubbing it in my face, the way I had done to her for so long. Then she pulled him to the bar and sat on his lap. Once I saw their lips touching, I had seen enough. I didn't understand how Bella could watch me week after week, kissing other women and not feel what I was feeling at that moment.

I stormed up the couple still engaged in a passionate lip lock and pulled Bella from his lap. We fought, loudly, just outside the bar. Things just flew out of my mouth, my filter completely gone. Then she told me that I wasn't as good as I thought I was. I immediately called bullshit on that. I may not have tons of experience, but I know what I'm doing. And when Bella and I had sex, it was explosive. I told her I wouldn't chase her anymore and I knew it was a lie even as I was saying it. She had gotten under my skin, planted herself in my brain and I didn't have a chance of escaping her.

I apologized to her the next day after she drove me crazy all day in the tiniest bikini I have ever seen. It was pretty uncomfortable to walk around at half mast all day long, in swimming shorts, in front of my parents. And after another misunderstanding, she asked if we could be friends. Friends. I felt like I had been shot. That word kept playing in my mind over and over again. I wanted so much more from Bella than just her friendship. I had never felt so much passion for another person. Even when we were fighting, there was still just so much heat between us.

At the advice from Ben, I kept my distance from her for a while. He thought it would be a good idea to let her cool down from everything and let her figure out what she wanted from me. If it was still friends, then I would just have to deal with it. I ended up spending much more time away than I had planned due to the bar. I found an awesome location in what used to be an old bank and with the help of my mom and sister, it turned out really great. The doors had been opened about two months now and everything was falling into place. I had some local bands play a few times a week and it was just a really chill atmosphere.

My regular bartender asked if I could cover for him tonight, which wasn't a problem. I liked getting behind the bar every now and then. It kept my mixing skills fresh, plus you meet so many cool people. I had about three hours before I needed to head in, so I decided to hit the gym. Finally, pulling myself from my bed where I had spent the last hour and a half mulling over all things Bella, I got dressed. I pulled open my sock drawer and the flash of black silk caught my eye. Is it weird that I saved those panties? I don't care if it is. A smile crossed my face as I once again thought about that night.

After a vigorous workout, I started getting ready for my night of liquoring up the people of New Orleans. I turned the shower on, then walked into my closet to pull something to wear tonight. Opening the bathroom door again, I was engulfed in steam. My mind went back to my dream this morning. _Damn that was good dream. _I stepped into the stall and started washing my body. After willing away the hard on I had from memories of my fuck awesome dream didn't work, I decided to pick up where Bella left off. Stroking myself to thoughts of taking her against the shower wall, I brought myself to completion in record time.

I opened the bar at three and the place was pretty busy by five. A tiny woman entered and took a seat at the bar. I approached her and asked what I could get her. She was a pretty woman, with short dark hair. She looked familiar to me, but I couldn't place where I had seen her before.

"Um, I'm waiting for my friend, but I'll go ahead and get an apple martini while I wait," she answered, her voice filled with happiness. I nodded and walked off to mix her drink. Setting the green concoction in front of her I asked her name. Maybe her name would jog my memory. "Alice."

"Hmm, you look familiar to me. But I don't know where from." I told her.

"Are you from New Orleans?" she asked, before knocking back the rest of her drink.

"Chicago, originally. Moved here almost two years ago." I nodded towards her empty glass, silently asking if she wanted another. She bounced happily in her seat, pushing the glass in my direction. I made her another drink and walked off to help a few other customers.

"I've never been to Chicago. What brought you here?" she asked upon my return.

"Well my best friend moved here for college, and every time I visited him, the city grew on me a little more. Finally after his wedding two years ago, I decided to move here. Now the rest of my family is here also."

"Who's your friend?"

"Ben Chaney." Her face lit up at my response.

"Wow. You're Bella's Edward," she said smiling in my direction. Her statement caught me off guard, but I recovered quickly.

"Bella Swan?"

"Yeah, that's my best friend. She's actually the person I'm waiting for. I work at her design firm."

"Well, that's must be why you look familiar. But I wouldn't say that I'm her's, actually I don't think she even likes me very much."

"Oh please, that girl adores you. Of course she would never admit that, but she does." Just as she finished, the door opened and in walked the girl of my dreams. Figuratively and literally. She was so beautiful in a cream colored dress and a pair of fuck hot heels, I lost my breath. "Don't say anything about our talk. Just act how you normally would around her; I want to see you ruffle those feathers in person." Alice said with a mischievous look.

Bella paused just inside the door, looking for her friend. She started in Alice's direction and stopped walking when she spotted me behind the bar. I saw what was about to happen but didn't have enough time to warn her, when she collided with a server, sending them both to the floor. Bella laid there with her sexy as hell panties showing for the entire bar to see. _Pink, nice._ Alice rushed over to her side, helping her off the floor. When I could see Bella's face I laughed a little to myself because the blush on her cheeks matched her underwear.

She gave a little bow and leaned down and whispered in Alice's ear. Alice quickly shook her head and pulled her in the direction of the bar. I quickly made a drink and place it in front of Bella's stool. "What is this?" she asked annoyed.

"It's today's special. Pink panty dropper. Delicious, try it." I said goading her.

"You're such an asshole." I could tell I was getting to her; I just hadn't pushed the right button yet. The one that would get that reaction from her I just loved. The button that made her face all squenchy and balled her little hands into fists. That's what I wanted to see

"Oh, come on Neve, that isn't what you were saying after your sister's wedding."

"Hold on, I'm completely lost." Alice interrupted. I turned to her and extended my hand, playing along with her plan.

"I'm Edward Cullen. The Godfather. After Angela and Ben's wedding, I made Bella an offer she couldn't refuse." I said in my best Brando impersonation. Alice looked towards her friend.

"He's Ben's best friend. He was the best man at the wedding and is Morgan's Godfather. As far as the offer I couldn't refuse, it was an open bar and a huge mistake." Bella said trying to explain to her friend. _A huge mistake, ouch. _

"I'm hurt, Neve, really hurt." I said, clutching my chest. I really was hurt. Here I was thinking about her and that night all day, and she says it was a mistake. Maybe she doesn't adore me half as much as Alice thinks she does.

"Who's Neve?" Alice asked, amused at our bickering.

"I call Bella Neve, after Neve Campbell, because of the way she screamed my name that night." I laughed. _Okay, that was lame. But there is that face. Score!_ Bella's face turned a light shade of red and little creases formed between her eyebrows. She gave Alice a look that said don't ask and gulped down the rest of her drink. Giving her goodbyes to Alice, she turned and strolled out of my bar. _No departing words for me? That sucks._

"I wasn't trying to get her to take off." I looked apologetically towards Alice.

"She's probably in a pissy mood. Don't let it bother you. Bella likes you pushing her buttons, all of them." Alice said with a little wink. I turned to help a customer that just sat down, when I saw Jasper enter. He and his band went directly to the stage to start setting up. After everything was in place, he approached the bar and ordered a beer. I saw his eyes dart over to Alice a few times while he was waiting.

"Want me to introduce you?" I asked, setting the bottle in front of him.

"Nah, I'll introduce myself with my music. Bring her to me," he said in a mellow voice. He returned to the stage and picked up his guitar. "We're the One Eyed Jacks and this first song is for my future wife sitting at the bar."

Alice spun around in her chair and looked down the bar. _Damn, Jasper has some game._ A huge smile crossed her face as she noticed Jasper starting straight at her. I served the other people at the bar and made a few orders for the servers while nodding my head along with the music. A few songs into their set, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I fished it out and saw Bella's name on the caller id.

"Hello, beautiful."

"Edward, you have to come down here now. You have to come. Please, Edward. I don't know what to do. Oh my god." Bella said hysterically. I could tell she was crying and I immediately started to panic.

"What's the matter Bella? Where are you?" I asked. All I could hear were her loud screams. "Bella, calm down. Tell me where you are?"

"At the hospital, Edward. Please come. I don't know what to do."

"I'm on my way Bella, just stay on the phone. I'm on my way." I called over to one of the servers and told her to cover the bar as I rushed out the door. "Bella, I'm leaving now. Just calm down. I'll be there as soon as I can. What happened?"

"Ben and Angela were in an accident," she said between her sobs. I heard a man's voice asking Bella if Angela was her sister. Pressing the phone hard to my ear, I tried to make out what the man was saying. I could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation.

"into surgery…extensive injuries…everything we could…I'm sorry for your loss." I heard Bella let out a gut wrenching scream before the phone went dead. My mind was moving a mile a minute. I couldn't comprehend anything that just happened, all I knew was that I needed to get to Bella.

I pulled into the hospital parking lot and sprinted towards the emergency room entrance. There were a few cops standing around and some nurses shuffling about. Approaching the reception desk, I drew a blank on what I needed to ask. Where was Bella? "Um, my…friend called me. She said there was an accident. Ben and Angela Chaney. Can you tell me where I need to go?"

The receptionist looked up at me sadly. "Yes, sir, they took her sister to a room because she was unstable. I'll escort you back there." She pushed away from the desk and led me down a long hallway. "She's right in there. They are just monitoring her right now. You can go on in."

I gave her my thanks and pushed through the door. Bella was curled on her side in a bed, while a nurse took her blood pressure. She looked up at me with the saddest eyes I have ever seen and I knew. I knew I would never see my best friend again. The tears fell from my eyes as I approached the bed. The nurse stood and left the room to give us some privacy. I pulled Bella into my arms and squeezed her tightly. "Bella?"

"They were hit head on; the police said Ben died instantly. Angela was brought here and they took her into surgery, but she was bleeding too much. Their dead, Edward. My sister is gone," she said gripping my shirt as she cried again. I cried with her, just holding her against my chest.

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**A/N: Ugh, don't hate me. I seriously considered changing the whole storyline around so Ben and Angela wouldn't die. So sad! Let me know what you think.**

**Leave a review, they really do make me happy! ~Ashlei~**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Wow, I know it has been a while. I'm so sorry, things have been crazy. My baby boy just started his first year of school. ::Cue tears:: And my computer has been acting wonky. But I'm back and hope to pick up the same weekly schedule as before. **

**Still no beta, still don't know how to get a beta, still want you guys to let me know if you spot any mistakes. :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 9

Gone Away

BPOV

I sat frozen in my car for a few minutes. Just trying to understand the information that was given to me. My body, my mind was numb. I didn't feel anything. Turning my keys in the ignition, I slowly reversed from my parking space. I robotically made the short drive to the hospital. Everything went unnoticed. I didn't look at any of the buildings around me. Didn't look at any of the people in the other cars, just drove to my destination.

I made my way into the emergency room and looked around for my sister. When I didn't see her, I approached the woman sitting behind a desk. "Um, I'm looking for my sister. A police officer called me and told me my sister was here." I said, desperately holding back tears.

"What's the name?" she asked without even looking up.

"Angela Chaney."

The woman looked up at me with sympathy displayed on her face. "Okay, Officer Newton is right over there. He's the one who called. He should be able to help you." She pointed a finger towards a tall blonde man, standing with two other police officers. I walked in his direction and tapped him lightly on his shoulder.

"Are you Officer Newton?" I asked shakily. He turned and looked down at me with so much pity in his eyes.

"Bella Swan?" I gave a slight nod, the tears slipping from my eyes. "You were listed as Angela Chaney's emergency contact. Um, I called you here, because there was an accident involving your sister and her husband. They were hit head on." After a small pause he continued, "Unfortunately, Ben didn't make it. He has passed when we arrived at the scene. Your sister is in surgery right now. I don't know any more information on her condition, but a doctor should be out soon to update you. I'm very sorry for you loss." He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

"What about Morgan? Was she with them?" I asked between sobs.

"Morgan? There were only two people in the vehicle."

"Their baby. She's only three months old. She wasn't in the car? Are you sure?"

"Yes ma'am. There were only two people in that vehicle. Is there someone else that you would like to call or want me to call?" he asked. I couldn't think. I knew there was no way I could call Ben's mother and tell her that her only child had been killed. I took my phone from my purse and began dialing numbers. I was crying uncontrollably now, my breaths coming in short gasps. I heard a voice pick up after a few rings.

"Hello beautiful." Edward answered smoothly. I just broke down. I don't even know what I told him, I just knew that he needed to get to the hospital immediately. I couldn't handle all this by myself. As I was trying to explain to him where I was and what was going on, a doctor dressed in green scrubs approached me asking if Angela was my sister. I just stared at him, waiting.

Waiting for him to tell me that my sister made it. That she was okay and that I could see her. I was waiting for him to tell me that my three month old godchild wouldn't lose both of her parents in one night. But he didn't tell me any of those things. He told me Angela was in pretty bad condition when she was brought in and had severe internal bleeding. The doctor told me that they brought her into surgery immediately and they did everything they could. And he told me that he was sorry for my loss. Sorry for my loss.

I heard a loud scream ring out and it took me a few moments before I realized it was me. I fell to the floor, everything else in the world forgotten. Everything was black, swallowing me whole. Tightening around me until I couldn't breathe. I was struggling to pull air into my body, trying to claw my way out of the suffocating darkness. My eyes wouldn't open and my body felt like stone.

After a lifetime of my lungs burning from lack of oxygen, my sister's face broke through the black. My beautiful sister, smiling sweetly at me. I called her name, wanting to ask her why this happened. Why she was leaving me all alone and what I was supposed to do without her? But no sound came out. And as quick as she appeared, she was gone. But with her went the darkness. Angela took it all away, making me feel better and less scared. Like she always did, always took care of me.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around the room. The steady beeping sound close to my head made me realize I was in a hospital room. There was a nurse to my left, writing in a chart. When she noticed that I was awake, she spoke softly to me letting me know that she was just monitoring my blood pressure. She said I had a panic attack and passed out. Just as she was removing the cuff from my arm, Edward walked into the room.

He just stared at me lying in the bed before finally sitting by my side. The nurse excused herself from the room as Edward pulled me into his lap, quietly speaking my name. All the information I had poured from my mouth as the tears once again slid down my face. "They were hit head on. Ben died instantly and they brought Angela here and into surgery. But she didn't make it. They're gone. My sister is gone." I clutched his shirt and began sobbing again. I could feel his body shaking as his grief overtook him. He held me tightly, both of us releasing our sadness.

After a few minutes Edward took a deep breath and asked about Morgan. I told him that she wasn't in the car with them, but I wasn't sure where she was. He fished his phone from his pocket and dialed Angela's home number. I could hear a woman's voice answer the phone after a few rings. Edward looked down at his phone confused, "Mom?"

I could hear her speaking to him, but couldn't understand anything she was saying. Pushing myself off of Edward's lap, I stood and walked out of the room. I couldn't listen to him relay the terrible news to his mother. After leaving the room, I didn't know where to go, so I just sat down against the wall.

What was I supposed to do? Angela had taken care of all the funeral arrangements when our father died. She was so strong, always able to handle everything. I couldn't be like that. I wasn't strong enough to handle this. I wasn't strong enough to handle burying my sister, my best friend. Tears were once again streaming down my face and I wiped them away angrily. None of this was fair. It wasn't fair that I had lost my sister. It wasn't fair that Edward lost his best friend. And it wasn't fair that Morgan would never know her parents.

Just as I was getting really angry, Edward walked out of the room and looked down the hall frantically. I cleared my throat, alerting him of my position on the floor. He squatted down next to me and released a deep breath. "My mom said she would watch Morgan tonight, but I think I'm going to go over there and take over."

"I want to go too. You shouldn't have to do it alone. I'll help." Edward extended his hand out for me to take, pulling me up off the floor. After checking with the front desk and signing a few papers, we walked out to Edward's car. The drive to Angela and Ben's house was quiet, neither of us knowing what to say. When we pulled in the driveway, Esme was sitting on the porch waiting for us. She engulfed both of us in a tight hug, whispering how sorry she was.

We walked into the house and I immediately broke down again. My sister's smell overtook me, bringing me to my knees. Edward lifted me from the floor and carried me to the sofa, laying me down gently. He covered me with a soft blanket and I fell asleep not long after.

I woke a while later to complete darkness. There were no lights on in the house and it took several minutes for me to remember where I was. I made my way upstairs and into Morgan's room. Edward was sitting in the large glider, with Morgan bundled in his arms. At first I thought he was sleeping, but when i walked further into the room, he looked up at me. His eyes were red and puffy but he still managed to give me a slight smile. "What are you doing?"

"I couldn't leaver her...I didn't want her to be alone. So I've just been here holding her," he whispered.

"You need some sleep. I'll take her, you go lay down for a while." I took a few steps in his direction and reached for Morgan. Edward laid her gently in my arms and stood. Just as I sat down in the chair, Morgan woke up. She let out a loud high pitched cry, startling me. I started to bounce her and rock her side to side, but nothing stopped her screams. Looking up at Edward for answers, I asked, "Is she hungry or needs her diaper changed? What's wrong?"

"No, I just fed her and changed her about an hour ago. Maybe she needs to burp?" I perched Morgan's tiny frame on my shoulder and softly patted her back. But her wails didn't stop. Edward reached for her and cradled her back in his arms. Her cries were quickly quieted to soft sniffles, before she finally fell back to sleep. Edward just looked at me and shrugged. My feelings were slightly hurt, but I pushed it aside.

"Um, are you hungry or thirsty? I can put on a pot of coffee." I asked, needing to do something.

"Yeah, sure, that sounds great." Edward said. As I walked out of the room, I kept my eyes down and my head clear, trying to prevent myself from breaking down again. I needed to hold myself together. After entering the kitchen, I pulled the coffee from the cabinet and started the machine. Moving around my sister's kitchen fluidly, pulling things from the fridge, I felt so comfortable here. Watching the dark liquid steadily drip into the pot, kept me from thinking that I would never get to cook with Angela again or eat a meal with her.

There was movement behind me, startling me before the light filled the room. Edward leaned against the counter, looking down at his feet. I poured each of us a cup and walked into the living room, curling up on the couch. "This is just surreal. I just keep waiting for them to come downstairs." Edward said, joining me on the sofa.

"I know. What am I going to do Edward? I'm all alone now. My entire family is gone." I looked up at him.

He pulled me close to his side and whispered into my hair, "You aren't alone. You have Morgan and she is going to need you so much. And…you have me Bella. I'm not going anywhere." He held me until we both feel asleep.

I woke to the sun pouring through the windows. Edward was still next to me, looking so peaceful. I decided to let him sleep awhile longer, knowing that we had a hell of a day ahead. After sliding off the couch, I quietly climbed the stairs to check on Morgan. She was lying awake in her crib, just looking around the room. "Good morning, Sha." She turned her big brown eyes in my direction and gave me a little smile. She liked when I used that term of endearment. It was the same thing my grandmother would call Angela and I when we were little.

I lifter her from her crib and walked over to the changing table. After quickly changing her diaper, we walked down stairs to get her a bottle. I sat at the kitchen table, while holding Morgan as she greedily sucked down her breakfast. After she was finished and burped, I laid her down with a few toys in the living room. Returning to the kitchen, I started throwing some things together for breakfast. Not long after I had the bacon in the pan, Edward entered the room yawning and scratching his belly.. "That smells really good."

"It's just about done. Will you grab a couple of plates for me?" He moved around the kitchen, completing the tasks I asked of him. We sat down to eat, the silence hanging in the air between us. I pushed my food around on the plate, realizing that I hadn't been hungry; I just needed something to do to occupy my time.

Edward finally broke the silence after several minutes of forks scraping against plates and quiet chewing. "I guess we have a lot to do today. I don't even know where to begin." Even though I greatly wanted to pretend that nothing had happened and just never talk about it again, I knew that wasn't a possibility.

"I guess we need to make some phone calls to the family and I'm pretty they had a will, so I guess we need to dig around and find out who their lawyer was. The will might help us proceed with the funeral arrangements." I sounded like a robot, the words just falling from my mouth.

"Yeah, that is a good place to start. My mom offered to help any way she could. She went over to Ben's mom's house last night to sit with her." Edward sounded almost as detached as I did. I was grateful that someone other than me broke the news to Ben's mom. I did not want to have to tell a parent that their only child was gone. The doorbell ringing brought me from my thoughts. Edward stood to answer it but wasn't quite to the door before the visitor started knocking repeatedly. I walked into the foyer just as Edward pulled open the door. Alice came rushing in looking around the room. She launched herself at me, throwing her arms around my neck. Repeating how sorry she was and she got here as soon as she could. Apparently the accident was reported on the morning news and she rushed right over.

"I'm here for you guys. Anything you need, I'm here." Just as the words left her mouth, the phone started ringing.

Edward let out a long sigh and said, "I'm sure since it was on the news, there will be tons of people calling. Alice could you be the receptionist today. Just take their name and number and tell them we will notify them when we have made the arrangements."

"Absolutely." Alice said, jogging into the kitchen to grab the phone. Edward turned to me, giving me a small pat on the back, before following behind Alice. I headed into the living room to check on Morgan again. She was playing with a small rattle, shaking it back and forth with her tiny fist. She was smiling and drooling all over the place. Always so happy, she was seriously the best baby I had ever seen. She had no idea that her life had just crumbled around her. She wouldn't know the extent of her loss for a long time and even though there was so much pain in my heart, I could be happy that Morgan would feel none of it for now. I would carry her pain for a while. Watching her beautiful face, made me feel a little lighter. I could handle this tragedy and I would be strong for her. I left her playing and joined Edward and Alice in the kitchen.

"I'm going to run home and grab some clothes. You guys need anything?"

"If you want to wait a few minutes, my mom and Rosalie are on the way. They can keep an eye on Morgan and I will go with you. That way you can pick up your car." Edward offered. I nodded and sat at the breakfast bar next to Alice as she continuously answered the phone. She would barely hang up with one call before it would ring again. "While we're waiting I'm going to go look around in the office and see if I can find out anything about the will." He pushed off the counter and left the room.

There was a brief break between calls when Alice looked over to me and asked, "How you holding up?"

"I'm okay. It is unbelievably hard and I don't think it has totally sunk in yet, but I know I have to hold it together for Morgan." Alice leaned over and put her arm around my shoulder giving me a squeeze. Her break was over as the phone started to ring non-stop again.

Esme and Rosalie arrived a few minutes later both hugging me and asking the same questions. I lead them into the living room where Morgan was now sleeping. I picked my sweet niece up and placed her in the nearby bassinet, then turned and told them where they could find everything. Esme reminded me that she babysat several times and that they would be fine. Edward returned from the office and said that he found a copy of the will and a card for Jay Jenks, the attorney Ben and Angie used. "If you want, we can stop by his office on the way back?" Edward asked.

"Okay, I guess it's best to get as much done today as possible. You can drop me off at my car so I can go home and shower. Will y'all be okay for a while?" I asked looking at Edward's family.

"Of course dear," Esme said. "You take as long as you need. We'll be fine."

Edward and I left the house heading for the hospital where I had left my car. He said he would meet me at my house once he was finished at his own. After taking a shower and packing a few days worth of clothes, I stood on the curb waiting for Edward to arrive. He pulled up minutes later, freshly showered and shaved. We made our way to the attorney's office and were lucky that he was available to see us without an appointment. Edward explained why we were there and gave him the will to review. Mr. Jenks reviewed the paperwork and pulled some additional information from his files. He told us that Ben and Angela both had life insurance policies that would more than cover the funeral expenses, in addition to a trust fund for Morgan. He gave us all the information we would need to get the funeral arranged and made us an appointment to meet with him next week to go over the remaining information listed in the will.

After our meeting, we decided to head home to call some funeral homes. My resolve was fading and I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold myself together. Edward could sense this and reached over to grab my hand. He didn't say anything, just held my hand the rest of the drive back to the house.

Once we arrived, I decided to lie down for a little while to try to get a hold of myself. Alice was still there and joined me in the spare bedroom a short while later. She lay with me in bed, just being there for me. It was nice to have these people in my life. Always reminding me that I was not alone. I ended up falling asleep for a short while, but was awakened by Edward telling me they ordered some food and I need to eat something.

I joined everyone in the kitchen, which now included Ben's mom and my Aunt Penny. I was able to choke down a few bites of food while everyone visited. A few hours later every one began leaving for the night and I helped Edward put Morgan to bed. We ended up falling asleep on the couch wrapped in each other's arms again that night.

The next morning Edward and I spoke with a funeral home and took care of all the arrangements. That was the hardest thing I had ever done. I tried to think of different people. People I didn't know and didn't love. It would work until Edward or the funeral director would say one of their names. That would snap me right back to the reality of the situation. The service would take place on the following Thursday, three days after the accident had taken place.

Edward wrote a beautiful obituary to be placed in the local newspaper and his mother planned a dinner for all the family to get together. I pretty much did nothing. Well I did what others asked me of me. They wanted me to eat, I ate a few bites. They wanted me to sleep, I went and laid down. They told me to call this person, write this, and say that, I did. And I did it all without tears. I would hold myself together for Morgan. I would be strong enough for her.

The day of the funeral I woke with a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't describe the feeling, but I knew it wasn't anything I had ever felt before. I pushed it down and put on my black dress, fixed my hair, and applied a little makeup. I walked down the stairs and joined everyone in the kitchen. It seemed these people never left. They were here in the morning when I got up and here at night when I went to bed. Sometimes I got the feeling that they were watching my every move, just waiting for me to fall apart. But I wouldn't allow it.

Bree, a teenager for down the road, agreed to babysit Morgan while everyone went to the funeral. Edward and I rode together with Rosalie and Emmett. The sinking feeling in my stomach had returned and I had to concentrate to keep my breathing even. We entered the building and once again Edward sensed my distress and took my hand, never letting it go. The service was beautiful. A few people stood and said wonderful things about Angela and Ben. Anyone could see how much they were truly loved by everyone present. It is sad that you don't get to see how many people show up just to tell you goodbye after you pass on.

At the end of the service, we made our way to the cemetery. As we approached the gravesite, a feeling of pride coursed through me reminding me that I had yet to break down. I knew I could get through it, it wouldn't break me. Edward still had a hold of my hand as we sat down under the tent. Once I looked down into that hole, cleared of dirt, which would be my sister's final resting place, I started to panic. I could feel my chest tighten and my ears started to ring. Sweat spotted my forehead and my grip tightened on Edward's hand. He looked over at me and could see my distress.

"Breathe Bella. You have to keep breathing. Look at me Bella. Look at me…" Just as Edward grabbed my face to turn towards him, my eyes rolled back and I passed out.

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**A/N: These chapters are really hard to write. Don't worry the sadness won't go on forever. **

**Let me know if you are still there and how you are liking it. All reviews get a teaser.**

**~Ashlei~**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who submitted a review. They are awesome and I love them all. Keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Chapter 10

Everybody Hurts

EPOV

When Bella and I left the hospital I knew that I wouldn't be leaving her side again. I knew that this was too much for her to handle and I didn't want her to ever have to do it alone. I would be there for her.

After entering Ben and Angela's house, Bella broke down. I took her small body into my arms and carried her to the sofa. I covered her shaking frame and kneeled next to her, rubbing her arm softly. And within minutes she fell asleep.

Following the sound of my mother's voice, I found her in the nursery quietly singing to Morgan. She looked up at me with swollen eyes and continued to sing to the sleeping baby in her arms. Once the song ended, my mother gently laid Morgan in her crib before exiting the room. I followed her into the hall. "I can stay if you need me," she offered.

"No, you don't have to do that. I think I can handle it. I've taken care of Morgan alone before." I responded.

"Well you have two people to take care of. Bella may be the more difficult of the two. She is going to really need to lean on you for support right now. I can't even imagine the pain she is feeling."

"I know, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure that she is okay. I care a lot for her, Mom. Always have. I will take care of them both." I said confidently. Bella needed me and I would be there.

"I have faith that you will. Well, I'm going to head over to Shirley's house. She said the police came by to notify her and she is over there all alone. It's even harder to lose a child than it is a sibling," she said sadly, pulling me into a tight hug. I walked her to the car and she reminded me to call her in the morning. After she pulled away from the drive way, I returned to the house.

Bella was still sleeping peacefully with the blanket pulled close around her face. She had dried tear stains on her cheeks and her hair was a tangled mess but she still managed to be the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I sat down on the chair next to her and was just about to fall asleep, when I heard Morgan's small cry. Before heading up to her room, I made a stop in the kitchen and quickly prepared a bottle.

I lifted Morgan from her crib and sat in the rocker to feed her. She looked into my eyes while drinking her bottle, her tiny fist wrapped around my finger. An immeasurable amount of love surged through my body. There was such a strong desire to protect her innocence from the pain she would someday feel. It was such a tragedy that Morgan would feel the pain of losing her parents before she even had a chance to know them.

She finished her bottle and I changed her diaper. By this time, she was already starting to doze off, barely able to keep her eyes open. I could have just laid her in the crib and she would have been fine, but I didn't want her to be alone. Maybe it was because I didn't want to be alone right then. So I took my seat in the rocker and gently rocked Morgan until Bella entered the room about an hour later.

Bella offered to take Morgan and suggested that I try to get some sleep. I accepted because my eyes were drooping and my arm was already asleep. I transferred the sleeping baby into her arms and almost immediately Morgan woke and began to cry loudly. The panic was evident in Bella as she tried frantically to soothe Morgan's cries. After several different methods, Bella looked to me for answers. I told her to trying patting her back, maybe she needed to burp. That wasn't effective either; Morgan was now releasing high pitched screams. I could tell Bella was at her breaking point, so I reached for Morgan, pulling her back into my arms. Her loud wails quickly turned to soft sobs, before she was sleeping once again. The look on Bella's face was heartbreaking, but she recovered quickly and excused herself to go make coffee.

Once Morgan was sleeping soundly again, I placed her in her crib and joined Bella in the kitchen. She poured a cup for each of us and walked into the living room. I sat next to her on the couch and told her how surreal this all felt. It seemed that if I listened hard enough I would be able to hear Ben and Angela moving around the house. Bella started to cry again, telling me that she was all alone. That her family was gone. I let her know that she wasn't alone. She had Morgan, who was going to need her and depend on her greatly. And that she also had me, I wasn't going anywhere.

I pulled her to my side and after a few more tears, she was sleeping again. I couldn't help but think how nice it was to have Bella next to me again; I just wished we could have had this under different circumstances. Carefully repositioning myself, I laid down keeping Bella at my side and fell asleep.

The next day, I noticed a change in Bella's behavior. It seemed as if she had just turned off all her emotions and just floating from one thing to the next. When Alice came over, she noticed the difference also. Bella didn't cry, she didn't eat, and she only spoke after someone spoke to her. I was hoping that this was just her way of dealing with everything. She just needed to work through everything and she would be fine.

That day we went to meet with the lawyer concerning Ben and Angela's will. I had hoped that he would mention something about Morgan and the custody arrangements. I knew that Angela would have wanted Bella to be Morgan's legal guardian, but I hoped that I would still be able to be a part of Morgan's life. Unfortunately the lawyer didn't mention anything but said we should come back to go over the other terms of the will.

Two days later, the day of the funeral, Bella's manner got worse. I could tell that she was close to a break down. Everyone was concerned for her well being, but no one knew what to do. My father said she was probably in shock and she really needed to talk to someone. He recommended getting her to see a grief counselor because she wasn't dealing with her loss, only burying it. I hoped we wouldn't have to go that route. Bella was strong, she would snap out of it. We just needed to get passed the funeral and she would be able to grieve without so many watchful eyes.

She held up all through the service, only shedding a few tears while looking at the pictures of her sister. Once we arrived at the cemetery I could tell that she wasn't going to make it. Bella squeezed my hand tightly and I could see the panic in her eyes before she passed out. I picked her limp body up and carried her to the car. My father ran over to check her after I laid her in the back seat. He said her breathing was normal, but her pulse was still racing. He assumed she had a panic attack. The burial service came to a halt while everyone in attendance waited to see if Bella was okay. I walked back over and told the minister to continue.

My dad suggested I take her home and let her get some rest. Everyone was supposed to come over to the house after the funeral, but we would just have to cancel it if Bella wasn't up to it. I was naive to think that Bella would be able to work through this on her own. She was one of the strongest people I knew, but this was too much. I wouldn't let this break her. I would have to talk to her about getting some help.

Bella came to not long after I began the drive home. She was a little disoriented and wasn't sure what happened. I gave her a brief reminder and just told her to lay down for the rest of the trip. Once we got home, I suggested she get some rest. "I'm fine Edward. I just got a little overwhelmed, I'm fine now!" she insisted.

"Okay, well I wanted to talk to you about something. Everyone is pretty worried about you and how you are handling everything. My dad suggested that maybe you could talk to a grief counselor. They could maybe tell you how to cope with your loss." I could see the fire in her eyes when I finished. She was pissed. Really pissed.

"Oh, so everyone thinks I'm not coping. I'm not grieving correctly. What does that even mean? And what the fuck would any of you know about it. I lost my fucking sister Edward. I lost my family. You and Ben were friends, close friends, but nothing even close to siblings. Angela was my sister, my blood. A piece of me died with her and you are telling me that I'm not handling it well. You and everyone else can go fuck themselves, because believe me I am grieving."

The babysitter quietly slinked down the stairs and entered the room with a worried expression. "Is everything okay?" she said timidly.

"I'm sorry Bree, everything is fine. Here…" I quickly pulled out my wallet and handed her a few bills. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Um, no. I'll walk." Bree took the money from my hand and made a bee line for the door. I had a strong feeling that she wouldn't be available to babysit for us again. My eyes were pulled back to Bella, still glaring at me with her arms folded over her chest. I couldn't understand what I said wrong. I cared for her; I wanted her to be okay. I was looking out for her well being. And I'm an asshole?

Before I could express that question, Bella started again. "You know it is really nice to know that everyone is talking about me behind my back. Whispering and gossiping about how I'm some kind of unemotional person. Saying that I am anything less than destroyed that my sister is gone is absurd."

"Bella-" I tried to interrupt, but was cut off immediately.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" she screamed. Morgan started crying, frightened by the loudness. Bella started to move towards the stairs. Just as she started to speak, the front door opened and everyone that was present at the funeral entered the house. "I have to be strong for Morgan. I have to keep it together for her, because she doesn't have anyone else. When all of you people leave and go home to your lives, it will be me here, alone, picking up the pieces of my life. I will be the one that has to explain to that little girl that she will never know her parents. So if you think that I'm not handling my life being completely turned upside down the _right_ way, I don't know what to tell you. Actually I do, but I'll refrain in respect to the older folks in the crowd." Bella spun on her heel and fled up the stairs. Everyone just stood in shock, looking towards the stairs. Morgan's cries were quieted and still no one moved.

My mother broke the tremendously awkward silence after a few minutes. "Well, we have some food set up in the dining room. So if everyone wants to make their way in that direction." She began ushering everyone towards the kitchen. My father approached me and patted me on the back.

"She's sinking, Edward. You suggested the counseling?"

"Yes. That's what started her rampage. She just blew up." I shook my head. I didn't know what else I could do. But there was something that Bella said that was just circling in my head. She kept saying how she was going to be doing this alone. I had already told her that I was here to stay. That I wouldn't be leaving her. What else could I do to convince her?

"You'll have to prove it," my mother said from behind me. _Did I say that out loud? _"You will have to show her that you are here for her. That's what you were concentrating so hard on, isn't it?" I just nodded. "Go talk to her. Comfort her, that's all you can do right now. When she is ready to talk about it, she will. Just be there." she patted me on the back and that was all the push I needed. I climbed the stairs two at a time.

Once I got upstairs, I peeked into Morgan's room. After I was convinced Bella wasn't going to throw something at me, I poked my head in further. But Bella wasn't there. Morgan was sleeping peacefully in her crib. I looked around the room in confusion. _Where did she go?_

I walked to the spare bedroom that Bella had been sleeping in the past couple of nights, but didn't find her in there either. So I tried the other rooms on the floor. The last door I came to was Ben and Angela's bedroom. Bella hadn't gone in there since the accident. But that was the only place she could be now. I pushed the door open slowly and could instantly hear her sniffles. As demented as it may be, those sounds made me a little happy. Bella wasn't broken. She was grieving. She was letting it out and if that little explosion downstairs proved anything was that she was expressing her feelings. I knew my girl was strong and would get through this.

Bella was lying on her sister's bed with her back towards the door. I crawled onto the bed and lay down behind her, throwing my arm around her waist. I pulled her close to my body and exhaled deeply. "When I was 10 years old, Ben knocked me out with a golf club. We were playing around in his parent's garage and we found an old set of golf clubs. Well Ben pulls this nine iron out of the bag and we are taking turns swinging." I said with a chuckle at the memory. "On his next turn, he pulls back and hits me right in the head. I hit the floor. Ben was sure that he killed me. He ran to the house and came back with his mom, just sobbing. 'I killed him, mom. I killed my best friend.' I regained consciousness a second later just as Ben was telling his mom to give me CPR. I started cracking up. We laughed about it for a good twenty minutes. Every time we played golf after that, I would still rag on him. Yelling 'Duck and Cover' before he would take a swing." Bella let out a little laugh but got quiet again.

I told her a few more stories and after a while, she told me a few of her childhood stories with Angela. Soon we were both laughing and suddenly Bella turned her body to face me. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm doing the best I can though."

"I know. But you need to know that you don't have to do everything yourself. All those people downstairs will help you, if you ask. And I'm not going anywhere. I mean it and I'm sure it's hard to believe, but it's true." I said, looking into her watery eyes.

"Thank you Edward. I'm glad you're here." She snuggled into my chest and let out a sigh. "I made a big ass out of myself, didn't I?"

"No, everyone understands. This is a hard time and like you said, you are doing the best you can. I'm no one even had a second thought about it." I tried to convince her.

"Ha. You don't know my family very well. Those old biddies will be talking about this for years to come."

"Well screw them. What do they know?" I said. Bella looked into my eyes and I knew that my feelings for her were a lot deeper than I'd originally thought. I could see myself holding her in my arms for the rest of my life. She licked her lips and broke my train of thought. I moved a little closer to her face, licking my lips in preparation to kiss her. And just when our lips met, I heard my mother's voice.

"If you guys are hungry, you better get down there. These people can eat…oh…sorry. Take your time. I'll hide some under a napkin or something. Carry on." And she backed out of the room, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Wow, that wasn't awkward at all." I said, pushing my face in the pillow.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure she's walked in on worse." Bella said. She slid off the bed and stopped at the door. "Let's go see how many pity looks I can rack up." I just smiled and met her at the door. She still thought I was some kind of gigolo. I just sighed and grabbed her hand, leading her down the stairs to everyone waiting.

A majority of the people had left and the few people remaining were mostly family. Bella did get the side eye from a few of her aunts, just as she suspected. But Bella just put a smile on her face and brushed it off.

My mom handed her and I a large plate filled with food. I rolled my eyes at the amount of food she had piled on. I sat next to Bella and watched her eat. And she really ate too. She didn't just push the food around or take a few nibbles. She cleaned the plate. I felt so proud of her, which is stupid, but I did. It was just further proof that she was going to be okay. We were going to be okay.

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**A/N: Aww, isn't Edward a sweetheart? A lot different than what you expected, huh? Let me know what you think of the chapter.**

**Every review gets a preview of next chapter. Unless Fanfiction doesn't let me, like it wouldn't let me reply to reviews last week. If you didn't get your teaser let me know and I'll make it up to ya. Thanks everyone. Enjoy the long weekend.**

**~Ashlei~**


	11. Chapter 11

***Knock Knock* Anyone there?**

**I know it has been a ridiculous about of time since my last update. And all I can say is I suck. So I let you get to it. Hope you enjoy.**

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Chapter 11

Waiting for the End

Edward almost kissed me. We almost kissed. Did I want him to kiss me? Kind of. Was now the right time? Absolutely not. There was already enough on my plate, I didn't need to add a delicious piece of meat to it. No, that's not right. I shouldn't describe Edward as a piece of meat. Especially since he was being so kind and supportive. He was like a completely different person. His smart ass remarks were replaced with words of comfort and assurance. I didn't know what to do with this new Edward.

I always enjoyed our banter and the heated arguments always left me wanting more. But now, now I was screwed. Because now instead of wanting kiss that arrogant smirk off his face and push him against the wall, I wanted to trust him and believe that he was going to be there for me. Doing this would get me into a whole hell of a lot more trouble than being a horny fool. Like I said, I didn't know what to do with this new Edward.

I knew that Edward was very close to Morgan. I knew that he wanted to be a part of her life. And I would never deny him that. Ever. But the question that nagged at me for the past three nights was how long would she be a priority to him? Sure, he says that he isn't going anywhere, but what happens when he meets someone. Marries someone. Has a kid with someone. The thought alone makes me want to hurl, but it is a reality. And I really shouldn't question Edward's love for Morgan. I know that he loves her, but will his girlfriend/wife/baby mamma understand? He will eventually have to pull himself away from her, maybe not completely, but certainly to some degree. I would be so sad for Morgan if her relationship with Edward dwindles down to a birthday card and phone call on Christmas. _Now I'm rambling. Is it even possible to ramble in your head? Okay, deep calming breaths. You are getting way ahead of yourself. Breath in, breath out. _I couldn't believe that I was obsessing over all this.

It had been three days since the funeral. Three days since Edward almost kissed me. And three days since I started expressing my grief instead of bottling it up inside. I took Edward's advice and called a grief counselor like his father suggested. I had an appointment to meet with her next week. Despite my freak out about Edward, which was becoming an everyday thing, I was feeling good. Normal… well I guess normal isn't a good word. I don't think I would ever feel normal again. Nothing would ever be normal again. My sister was gone and I was now the primary caretaker of a beautiful baby girl. Things definitely wouldn't be same. But I was coping with it and creating a new normal for my life.

Today Edward and I had an appointment to meet with Mr. Jenks, Ben and Angela's attorney, to discuss their will. It was going to be tough hearing my sister and my brother-in-law's last wishes. It made everything so final. Permanent. But it had to be done. And I was so grateful for Edward going with me.

I looked over at the clock beside the bed. It was still early, but I knew Morgan would be waking up soon. Throwing the covers off of me, I decided to take a shower before she woke. Just as I was getting out of the bed, I heard Edward's voice on the baby monitor. "Good morning princess. I got your breakfast ready and we're going to be super quiet so we don't wake your Aunt Bella, okay?" He was using that soft voice that people only use with babies or small animals and it was adorable. I sat back down on the bed to listen to him for a minute. "You get to visit with Esme today. Esme… that sounds weird. We're going to have figure out something for you to call her."

He was quiet for a while, so I grabbed the monitor and walked into the bathroom. I didn't need to take the monitor with me, but I wanted to be able to hear Morgan just in case. _Or be nosey and invade Edward's privacy. Whatever._ As I was washing my hair, I heard some movement on the monitor. "Okay Chunk, you need to burp? You drank that pretty fast, must have been tasty. Yeah, was it tasty pretty girl?" I could hear him patting her back, eventually coaxing an adult sized belch from her belly. "Whoa, that was quite a burp. As weird as it sounds, that made me a little proud." he said. I couldn't help the small giggle that escaped me. "Now let's get you cleaned up. Alright, I'm about to take off you diaper. Any uses you have for this diaper needs to be taken care of now, understand? We don't want you going tee tee on Uncle Edward." Morgan gave a little gurgle in response and Edward must have taken that as confirmation of his instructions. "Okay, here we go. Oh, was that a poot? Did you just baby fart? Well, I guess I will let that slide since I didn't specify that it wasn't allowed. But no more of that. Oh my god, that is foul. You smell like Emmett. Ugh, I can't believe that even came out of you."

I was full on cracking up then. I wrapped a towel around my body and sat on the edge of the tub to calm myself. Edward continued telling Morgan what a lil stinker she was, before taking her downstairs. I quickly got dressed and joined them in the kitchen. Esme had already arrived and apparently brought breakfast with her. She handed me a plate filled with bacon, eggs, and a huge piece of French toast. I guess she noticed how little I had been eating lately and was trying to fatten me up. "Thank you, Esme. This looks great."

"No problem. Eat up, you're looking a little thin." My suspicions confirmed, I smiled and took her advice. Of course it was delicious and I ate every bite. Once the breakfast dishes were taken care of, I fixed my hair for the tenth time and I made sure that everything Morgan needed was convenient for Esme, twice, I couldn't hold off our appointment with the lawyer any longer.

"You know, we could put this off for a couple of days. If you don't feel up to it, we don't have to go." Edward said.

"No, I need to take care of this. I want to make sure that everything Ang and Ben wanted for Morgan is done." I responded. I took a deep breath and lead the way to my car. Tossing the keys to Edward, I settled myself in the passenger seat, mentally preparing myself for what was to come.

We arrived at Mr. Jenks office about ten minutes later and were greeted by his secretary. Mrs. Trudeax was a sweet old lady, with powder white hair pulled neatly in a bun and tiny reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose. She looked like Mrs. Claus and I half expected her to pull out some fresh baked cookies and milk. She showed us to Mr. Jenks' office and left us with a gentle smile. Her kind manner instantly put me at ease and I entered the office ready to handle whatever was thrown at me.

Mr. Jenks motioned to the chairs in front of his large desk, after greeting us at the door. Edward and I quickly sat, both folding our hands in our laps. I looked over at him, noticing his anxiety by the way he was chewing the inside of his cheek. I'm not sure what he was so nervous about, but I reached over and quickly patted his arm. He instantly relaxed and gave me a small smile before returning his attention to the man before us.

Mr. Jenks pulled a few files in front of him and began speaking. "Well, like I said in our last meeting. Ben and Angela had all of their affairs in order. I want to start by offering my deepest condolences. The Chaney's were wonderful people and I'm very sorry for both of your losses." After Edward and I mumbled our thanks, he continued.

"I don't think I have ever drawn up a will quite as specific and unique as this one, but I will start at the beginning. The following is the last will and testament of Angela Michelle Chaney and Benjamin Joseph Chaney. We, Angela Michelle Chaney and Benjamin Joseph Chaney, being of full age and sound mind and memory, do make, publish and declare this to be our Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and annulling any and all Last Will and Testaments or Codicils at any time heretofore made by us. We direct that all our just debts, secured and unsecured, be paid as soon as reasonable after death, provided, however, we direct that my Executor may cause any debt to be carried, renewed and refinanced for its repayment as our Executor may deem advisable taking into consideration the best interest of the beneficiaries hereunder." Mr. Jenks paused shortly looking between both Edward and myself. "Basically, this means that any and all debts will be paid before any portion of the estate will be distributed. It is my understanding that the home and vehicles were paid off, so that shouldn't be a problem. Any other debts, such as credit cards, the creditor will have to respond to a notice posted in the newspaper. Understand?" We both nodded and he continued.

"All the rest and residue of our property, real and personal, of every kind and description and wheresoever situate, which we may own or have the right to dispose of at the time of our death, we give, devise, and bequeath to our child, Morgan Renee Chaney. We direct that our Executor and beneficiaries abide by any written statement or list directing the disposition or tangible personal property not specifically disposed of by this Last Will and Testament. This directive is mandatory to the extent allowed by law. The word "Executor" means the same as Administrator, Executrix, or Personal Representative and refers to the person who is to administer our estate and carry out the terms of this Last Will and Testament. We hereby name, constitute and appoint as our Executor Isabella Marie Swan." After another brief pause, Mr. Jenks resumed reading.

"A person who receives property in this Last Will and Testament is known as a Beneficiary. If any share of personal property or real estate given under this Last Will and Testament becomes distributable to a Beneficiary who has not attained the age of 21 years, then such share or property shall immediately vest in the Beneficiary. However, notwithstanding the provisions herein, our Trustee shall retain possession of such share or property in trust for the Beneficiary until the Beneficiary attains the age of 21. Our Trustee may use so much of the net income and principal of such share or property as our Trustee deems necessary to provide for the proper support, medical care, and education of the Beneficiary, taking into consideration to the extent our Trustee deems advisable any other income or resources of such beneficiary known to our Trustee. Any income not used for support, medical care, and education of the Beneficiary shall be accumulated and added to principal. The Beneficiary's share or property shall be paid over, distributed and conveyed to the Beneficiary upon attaining the age 21. Whenever our Trustee determines it appropriate to pay any money for the benefit of a Beneficiary for whom a trust is created hereunder, then such amounts shall be paid out by our Trustee in such of the following ways as our Trustee deems best: directly to the Beneficiary; to the legally appointed guardian of the Beneficiary; to some relative or friend for the care, support and education of the Beneficiary; or directly to a third party for the Beneficiary's care, support and education. Our Trustee shall have such powers and authority to manage the Trust property as are provided for by the applicable state laws. We hereby name, constitute and appoint Edward Anthony Cullen as Trustee."

I turned and looked at Edward and noticed his confused expression matched my own. Did my sister not trust me with handling Morgan's trust? Mr. Jenks noticed the looks on our faces and continued quickly.

"This is all very normal. The Executor and the Trustee are often different people. It doesn't mean anything in regards to lack of responsibility, merely just lightening the load off of one person. Are you following everything I read so far?" We once again nodded.

"Okay, this is where it gets a little unusual. Keep in mind that everything I am reading was the expressed wishes of your sister and her husband," he said. "The Testamentary Guardian is the persons named in this that is to have custody and take care of any minor child that we have at the time of death. We hereby name, constitute and appoint Isabella Marie Swan and Edward Anthony Cullen as Testamentary Guardians. The Testamentary Guardians will share equal responsibilities in the care of Morgan Renee Chaney while maintaining permanent residence in the current home of the child." Mr. Jenks finished. He remained silent while the words sunk in.

Edward broke the silence, "I'm confused. Bella and I were each named as Morgan's guardian, but we have to live together at Ben and Angela's house?"

"That's correct. If one or both of you are unable to comply with the wishes expressed, we will have to discuss the options." Mr. Jenks replied.

Edward looked over to me for a response. Once everything sunk in, I pressed my lips together tightly to hold back my feelings. Unfortunately I couldn't hold it back for long and a loud giggle burst from my mouth. I slapped my hands over my lips to stop the sound.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, this is just so Angela." I said, looking over to Edward. "Angela has been convinced that you and I were meant to be together since the wedding. She had been pushing me to give you a chance. I guess this was her last shot."

Edward smiled awkwardly at me. "Well, when I became Morgan's godfather I promised to be there for her no matter what. So I'm in, if you are." Edward said grabbing my hand.

I tightened my hold on his hand and looked at Mr. Jenks. "So what do we do now?" I asked.

"Well, there isn't much you need to do. I will take the will to the court to be probated. You will both need to be present once a date is set to sign the paperwork in front of the judge. I will get everything filed this week and will call and give you an update when I have the information."

"Okay, so is there anything else we need to do today?" Edward asked.

"No, we've covered everything. But there is a letter here that was written by Mr. and Mrs. Chaney for both of you." He pulled an envelope from beneath the folder on his desk and handed it to me. Mr. Jenks stood and extended his hand to each of us. "Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you."

"Thank you for all your help." Edward said, guiding me to the door.

"No problem. I'll be in touch. Have a good day."

Edward and I walked out of the building and as he was opening the car door for me he asked, "Do you want to get some coffee or something? It will give us a chance to talk about all this and read the letter."

"Um, I don't think I want to be in a public place when we read the letter." I replied, but once I saw the defeated look on Edward's face I quickly added, "But I have coffee at my house and I need to grab a few things anyway."

He smiled beatifically and nodded his head. Once we arrived at my house, I started a pot of coffee and sat down next to Edward on the couch. "So…" he started.

"A lot of stuff to take in huh? I can't believe Angela though. I guess she thought she could pull a fast one on us. I mean what did they think would happen?"

"Well maybe they thought us living in the same house and taking care of Morgan would stir up some feelings. I guess they were a little optimistic." Edward said.

"Uh, ya think? So, how do you take your coffee?" I asked. I wanted to change the subject quickly. This was a dangerous line of thinking. Dangerous because my feelings had already been stirred. My feelings for Edward had been stirring for a while now, but they were mixed with doubt and fear, which always prevented me from acting on them. And right now I needed to concentrate on Morgan. I had way too many things going on to add a possible relationship on top. Not to mention, Edward's feelings may not be stirred at all.

"Bella, hello?" Edward was waving his hand in front of my face.

"Oh, sorry. Zoned out. What was I saying? Coffee." I turned and quickly walked into the kitchen.

"I'll have mine black." he said.

I swiftly poured the coffee and rejoined him on the sofa. I handed Edward his mug and tucked my feet underneath me. "Are you ready to read the letter?"

"If you are."

"I just can't believe the planning that they did. I guess scheming would be a better word. What if all this would have happened in a few years? I mean what if one of us was married?" I asked.

"Well if that was the case, they probably would have re-written the will. Or maybe not, if Angela was as persistent as you say, then she probably would have expected us to get divorced." He laughed a little at the thought.

"Before we do any of this, I just want to let you know that I don't expect anything. What I mean is, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable about dating other people. Well not other people, just people, because we aren't dating. But anyway, just because Ang and Ben thought this would push us together, I want you to know that I don't. I'm not expecting you to propose or anything."

I blew a big breath out thinking that I was done with the word vomit that just poured from my mouth. Edward's mouth was hanging open just looking at me and just as he was about to speak, my seriously fucked up brain decided, nope not done.

"And I also want you to know how much I appreciate you being here, through all this. Really, you have helped keep me together. I just wanted you to know that too." My voice started to break at the end and my eyes started to water. Edward leaned over and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Bella, you don't have to thank me. I'm here because I want to be. And just for the record, I'm not interested in dating at the moment. But I'll let you know if that changes. And the same goes for you. Feel free to date anyone you want."

Any thoughts I had about Edward's feelings went out the door with that statement and a sinking feeling in my stomach replaced it. I huffed in annoyance at myself. Surely I would need some kind of medication with the way my emotions were all over the place. "Since we got that out the way…"

I picked up the envelope and slid my finger under the flap. As soon as I saw my sister's perfect script on the page, the tears once again began flowing. I passed the letter to Edward and asked him to read it. His smooth voice started off a little shaky, but picked up strength quickly.

"Dearest Edward and Bella, I'm sure you both have so many questions right now. But unfortunately Ben and I won't be able to answer them. What's the fun in that anyway? What we will tell you is that when we chose you guys as godparents to Morgan, we thought about it for a while. We both wanted to choose someone that we knew would take care of our beautiful baby girl and give her the love and support that she would receive if we were there to give it to her. We didn't take the responsibilities that we gave you lightly, and hopefully you didn't either.

The only wish we have for our sweet girl is that she is happy. Make sure she knows that her Mommy and Daddy love her with every piece of our heart and that will never change. No matter how old she is or how much time passes, she is our everything.

Bella, I will remind you that I am older and therefore wiser. Don't question me. I know you are hurting now, but you are so much stronger than you even know. But you can't do everything by yourself. Ask for help when you need it and don't push people away that are only trying to care for you. I love you so much and nothing can ever break the bond that we have. Things won't always be easy, but you can handle anything. Ben and I have so much faith in you.

Edward, the friendship you share with my Ben is beautiful. And as soon as I met you I loved you as much as he does. You are such a wonderful person and I am grateful to have someone like you in our life. Please take care of my baby sister; you and Morgan are her family now. I know she is a pain in the ass sometimes, okay, most times, but she is so important to me and I know she needs to be taken care occasionally. We love you.

All our hearts,

Ben and Ang

P.S. We will give you one clue into some of our reasoning behind all this. Watch our wedding video. Maybe you will see what we see."

Once Edward finished, I was sobbing uncontrollably and there were a few tears sliding down his cheeks as well. He pulled me to his chest and hugged the hell out of me.

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**A/N: So a few more tears, hopefully things will start drying up around here. Let me know how you liked it.**

**~Ashlei~**


	12. Chapter 12

Hello...Hello...Is this thing on?

Hi, remember me? No? I don't blame you.

I lost my inspiration and it only took me reading all the books again and watching Breaking Dawn to find it again.

Yada, yada, yada...here it is!

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Chapter 12

If You Could Only See

After all the details were settled with Ben and Angie's will, Edward and I officially moved in together. Not together together of course, we became roommates. The non-together, just friends sort of roommates. The suggestion of watching the wedding video was long forgotten after I nearly had an anxiety attack just seeing the footage of Angela getting ready.

It was still so raw. It still hurt. I was still dealing with being the only person left in my family. Just me and Morgan now. I still didn't count Edward. Who knew how long he would be there really.

I fought any and all attachment to him. I couldn't lose another person. The thought alone made me nauseous. My feelings on the matter didn't change the way Edward felt. He was as doting and caring as ever.

Things fell into a routine. Edward stayed with Morgan during the day while I was working. I was with her at night while he was at his bar. Esme babysat when our schedules conflicted. Truthfully Edward and I rarely saw each other for long periods of time. The occasional nights he did have off, we would normally eat dinner and one of us with get Morgan ready for bed. I usually went to be early those nights. It was easier that way. I wasn't forced to look at him or see his thoughtfulness towards Morgan or myself. I could pretend my feelings weren't growing. I could pretend he didn't mean anything if I didn't have to look at him.

Six months passed this way. Passed us, passing each other. Our conversations usually revolving around Morgan and her new achievements. 'Morgan rolled over today.' 'Morgan said her first word.' 'She is sitting up on her own now.' 'Wow, Morgan is crawling.' Each of us having a hint of jealousy in our voices when we weren't there to witness the milestone.

Alice gave me hell over my stagnant home life. She thought I was crazy and would bitch at me to stop being so stupid. She cared and wanted me to be happy. This was the only reason she wasn't fired. I was so ready to kick her perky, nose in my business, ass to the curb.

I had just gotten a text from Edward telling me Morgan was a genius. That usually meant she did something very impressive, but he wouldn't tell me what. I would just have to wait for this long day to end.

"Your two-thirty just cancelled. Mrs. Kellerman just found her husband with the nanny in the office she was planning to redecorate. Apparently she will be doing some redecorating of his face and can't make it." Alice said, poking her head into my office.

I smiled in response and looked back at my phone. "What's wrong Crabby Patty?" she asked sitting on the edge of my desk. "Plankton trying to steal the secret formula again?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

"You know Spongebob…"

"You're a child." I said in a huff.

"Anyway, what's wrong? You look like Swiper just stole your backpack Dora." She smiled at me and waited. When I didn't answer, she continued. "You have a kid, how do you not know what I'm talking about?"

"She's only nine months old, Alice. She doesn't watch tv. And I'm not watching the Disney channel myself."

"Nickelodeon." She corrected.

"Whatever." I tried to look like I was busy, so she would leave. Of course that never works.

"Well…" she asked.

"Edward just text me and said something about Morgan. She probably did something really great and I missed it. He gets to see all the good stuff she does first." I crossed my arms and pouted.

"Stop whining, you big baby. Weren't you the one to witness her crawl first?"

"I saw her scoot across the floor. Edward saw her for real crawl."

"For real crawl. You're damaged. Really you are. It's sad." She said, hopping off my desk.

"Don't start please."

"No Bella, you need help. Professional help. You have this extremely hot guy who wants nothing more but to take care of your emotionally stunted ass and that beautiful baby girl. There are guys out there that run from their own offspring and Edward is running towards you and Morgan. Most men wouldn't stick around to play Mr. Mom to two infants. You should really count your blessings now. Edward is good people."

"That's just it, Alice. He is a good person. I'm not going to take advantage of his kindness and good manners that way. Esme raised him to be thoughtful and caring. That's what is happening. He feels sorry for me. He feels he has to be there. I don't want to see the regret that will be in his eyes eight-teen years from now, when his obligation to Morgan is over. How could I steal his potential happiness from him because I don't want to be lonely?" I yelled back.

"Are you going to be able to look in the mirror and face the regret you see there when you finally chase him away?" she asked sadly.

"I'll deal with that when it happens. I can take care of myself."

Alice shook her head and started for the door. "You're wasting it Bella. You are throwing away this gift Angela and Ben gave you. It's so sad." She shut the door behind her.

I just sat back in my chair and rolled my eyes. This situation was no gift from Angela and Ben. They would give anything to be here raising Morgan. Anything to watch her grow and learn and love. They would not have given this away.

This was a curse. A curse that Ang and Ben would miss the life of their only child. A curse that Morgan has to live without ever knowing the love of her parents. A curse that Edward has to give up his life and a curse that I have to watch him. What gift am I throwing away? This was nothing but pain for everyone. I could only hope that Edward would see that he does have options. That he isn't doomed to perish in this curse. I could make him see, I could save him.

I tucked my dark thoughts back into the basement of my mind, where they belonged. And tried to finish the rest of my work. I walked out of my office a quarter to five, more tired than I should have been.

"See ya later boss lady." Alice yelled.

I walked to my car without responding and made the short drive home. Edward's car was in the drive, next to Esme's. I knew Edward had the night off and I was looking forward to a long bath.

I dropped my bag and keys on the kitchen counter and followed the voices I heard to the living room. I walked in to see Morgan standing against the coffee table. My eyes nearly popped out of my head and I let out a loud gasp.

"Oh my god! When did she start standing up?"

Of course my loud outburst startled her and she fell with a thump to her diapered butt. She looked up at me and smiled. "Bebe" she said drooling all over herself.

It was amazing how much spit came out her mouth since she cut her two bottome teeth. She was always juicy.

"She pulled up in her crib this morning after her nap. I walked in to get her and there she is just standing up looking at me. She has been doing it on any stable surface since." Edward answered my question. I could see the excitement in his eyes.

I walked over and sat on the floor next to Morgan. She held her chubby hands out to me and I pulled her into my lap. Her dimpled fingers went immediately into her mouth.

"Such a smart girl, aren't you?" I cooed into her ear.

"Of course. A genius, like I said. Just look at that face. She knows what's going on. Don't ya pretty girl?" Edward said. Morgan gave him a beautiful smile just to prove his point and offered him a taste of her drool covered fingers.

He didn't even hesitate. "Oh you want me to have some? Nom, Nom, Nom." He playfully bit her fingers which produced an adorable giggle from her.

"Un Un" she said still smiling. Edward's eyes lit up, just the way they always do when Morgan utters her name for him. She doesn't say it as often as she says mine, but I told him it would be harder for her to learn Uncle Edward than Bella. He didn't care and kept repeating it to her every day. She's smart, it didn't take long.

"You guys better get ready. It's almost six." Esme said breaking the silence in the room.

"Get ready for what?" The only plans I had involved me covered in bubbles.

"We're going out tonight." Edward said flatly.

"We are?"

"Yea, today's my birthday. Remember everyone's meeting at the bar for some drinks?" He prodded.

"Oh my gosh, Edward. I'm so sorry. Happy Birthday." I remembered him asking a couple of weeks ago if I would go. _God I'm such a bitch. How could I forget his birthday. _I didn't even get him anything.

"It's cool. You still want to go, right?" he asked. He tried to mask the hurt in is voice, but it was there.

"Yes, of course. Let me get ready. Give me twenty minutes. I'll be ready." I rushed upstairs to my room avoiding those sad green eyes with a vengeance.

After getting to the bathroom I decided I was a horrible person. I kind of already knew that, but it was definitely confirmed today. I took a quick shower and continued to beat myself up as I did my hair and makeup.

I couldn't even think of one thing I could give him. Not one single thing he mentioned.

When did I become so self-absorbed. When did I decide that the world revolved around me? I couldn't even remember his birthday. I was pathetic.

I dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a midnight blue flowy top. I finished it off with a pair of heels and walked my sullen ass down the stairs. I wanted to throw myself down them, but I'm sure me spending the night in the ER would ruin Edward's birthday further.

He smiled when I entered the room. "You look great."

"Oh, um, thanks." I replied, smoothing my hair down self-consciously.

"Well everyone's meeting at eight. Did you maybe want to grab some dinner first?" He wouldn't even look at me. He was probably thinking I was going to laugh in his face and tell him no. That's what a bitch who forgot his birthday would do.

"Yeah, that would be great. I'm treating though. No arguments." I smiled. The least I could do was buy him dinner. He could order a ten pound steak and two lobsters and it still wouldn't make up for my selfishness. "Let me grab my bag."

I walked to the kitchen and saw Morgan sitting happily in her highchair eating green goo and smooshing little carrots into the cupholder. She looked up and smiled when Edward and I walked in.

"You be a good girl for Nonnie." I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Esme just smiled at her given name. Nonnie was what Angela and I called our grandmother. I asked Esme if that was something she would want to be referred as, Morgan's grandmother. She was overjoyed and accepted immediately. So she has been Nonnie ever since. Morgan was weeks if not days from being able to say that. Esme would be ecstatic when that day came.

I grabbed my bag and keys from the counter and headed to the door with Edward following close behind me. His smell made me dizzy. "You want to drive?" I asked, trying to clear my head.

"I saw you blocked me in, I didn't bring my keys." He said looking at his car in front of mine.

"You can drive mine if you want." I tossed the keys to him and walked to the passenger side of my car. He unlocked the doors and was right behind me to open my door for me. _Manners, see?_ Once I was in, he walked over to the other side. He had to adjust the seat back to accommodate his long legs.

"This is like a Barbie car." He smirked at me.

"Play with those a lot, did you?"

"Rosalie really wanted a sister. She was so mean."

I laughed loudly at him. Those little thoughts came to my mind. Reminding me how easy things would be with Edward. Effortless. But the darker thoughts came and chased them away. They always did.

Edward drove through the city, busy with tourist visiting during the summer months. Why anyone would want to visit the hot humid south during the blistering summer is beyond me. Learning to breathe in just as much water as you do air is not fun.

"So what you hungry for?" I asked looking over at his long fingers wrapped around my steering wheel. Lucky.

"I really wanted a poboy from Mother's but you're all dressed up. I'm sure you would rather go somewhere nicer."

"What? Please, let's go there. I can already taste the debris." I answered, my mouth watering. But if a steak and lobster wasn't going to make a dent in my debt to him a ten buck po'boy was falling severely short. But the man knows what he wants, who am I to argue.

He parked across from the familiar brick building. Edward rushed around to my side of the car to open my door. Placing his hand on the small of my back, he guided me across the street and into the restaurant. We both ordered a 'Ferdi' with extra debris and sat at a small table in the corner.

"Edward, I'm really sorry I forgot about your birthday. I feel terrible about it."

"Hey it's okay. Things have been tough. It's not a big deal." He replied.

"It is. What kind of bitch forgets her friend, her roommate's birthday? This one apparently." I told him, pointing to myself.

"Roommate?" he mumbled. He was tearing up his third napkin and had a pile of confetti in front of him.

"I really am sorry Edward. I will make it up to you, I promise. Anything you want, it's yours." I said. I grabbed his hand and made him look at me.

"Anything?" he asked slyly.

"Anything legal." I clarified.

Just as he was about to respond, our food arrived. Our conversation long forgotten after our mouths tasted the deliciousness. We continued to eat in silence. I finished first, scooping up the fallen meat with my fries. I swiped a few fries from Edward's plate just to wash everything down. He just stared at me, wide eyed.

"What? You've seen me eat before. You know I grub like a pig. Don't look so shocked." I laughed.

"I know, but that was a true show there. Did you even chew? Wow. I was afraid you would bite one of your fingers off in your attempt to shove your whole sandwich in your mouth." He said, making a show of looking appalled. "I mean I don't know if I can finish mine now. I'm just…ugh." His smirk gave him away though.

"Fine smartass, give me yours. I'll eat the rest of your food too." I made a grab for his tray and he quickly smacked my hand away.

"Hey hands off my birthday dinner. You already forgot about it, now you want to eat my food too?" he said, smiling to let me know he was kidding.

"Low blow, Cullen." I said, throwing my napkin down.

"Aww come on. I was just joking. Don't feel bad. You already said you would make it up to me." He responded. He reached for the ticket, but I was faster. I snatched it up and quickly paid the bill before he could even argue.

He led me back to the car in the same way. His hand on my back felt nice. Safe.

We drove over to his bar in silence. Edward drumming a beat along with the radio, me looking out the window. After entering the club, a loud 'Happy Birthday' was yelled from the group of people in the corner. I could see Rosalie and Emmett on one side and Alice and Jasper on the other.

Jasper has been glued to Alice since the first night they met. The night that changed my life also changed hers in a much happier way. She was planning a spring wedding, even without the pesky detail of a proposal from Jasper. If he found out that she had already bought her dress, that proposal may never come. I keep telling her to hide the crazy until after his last name is added to yours, but she doesn't listen.

There were a few other people I recognized but couldn't recall their names. All of these people remembered Edward's birthday, but me, the person who lives in the same house as him, didn't. I sighed and followed him to the table. I grabbed a shot off the table and downed it. Edward's eyebrows shot up and I handed him his own. "Happy Birthday Edward."

He drank it quickly and placed the glass back on the table. I took two more before I sat down at the large booth next to Alice. I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Your fired."

She rolled her eyes and asked, "What for today?"

"Not reminding me that today was Edward's birthday. I completely forgot, I feel awful. What do I pay you for?"

"I did remind you, I said see you later." She responded.

"That wasn't a reminder, that was a goodbye. You say that to people that you will see later. Later like tomorrow or next week."

"Or later, like tonight." She smiled and crossed her arms. I growled at her but let it go.

Everyone settled down and talked and drank. We sat around and bullshitted for about an hour. There was a great band playing. They put an alternative bluesy twist on popular songs. They were really awesome. I found myself swaying in my seat to the familiar beats. I leaned over to Edward, close to his ear and asked, "Who is this band?"

"Remix," he answered, the smell of tequila strong on his breath. "You like?"

I just nodded my head and continued to sway. Then Edward's lips were touching the side of my face and I froze in place. "You want to dance?" he asked. His voice melted my body and I turned to look at him. His deep green eyes were staring directly into mine. My heart started beating faster, sounding out a solid no with each thump. But my alcohol clouded mind said why the hell not. I placed my hand into his waiting one and scooted out of the booth. I looked around the table and every set of eyes were focused on me. Alice slightly shook her head at me and looked away.

Edward led me to the dance floor in my new favorite way. The heat of his hand warmed my back. The band was currently playing a cover of an Adele song. Edward and I moved easily together. Never to close, but never far away. Always touching in some way.

The song changed tempo to a slow sultry beat and the atmosphere on the dance floor changed with it. Everyone got a little closer, grinded together a little more. The beginning words of Otis Redding These Arms of Mine, found me in Edwards arms. My body pulled flushed against him. He held me tightly and swayed us gently. I gripped the back of his shirt with a tight fist and put my cheek against his chest. His heart was pounding strongly in my ear, matching the sound of my own.

The words of the song pulsed through my body making my own wants and needs rise to the surface. Suddenly I could see my future so clearly. I could see myself falling in love with Edward so easily. Loving him completely. Being happy. Being whole again.

My thoughts forced me to hold on tighter, pull Edward as close to me as possible. I could feel every muscle in his back. Strong and masculine. He leaned down and placed a single kiss to the top of my head. It was as if I was struck by lightning.

Those familiar dark thoughts returned to my head in a flood. The regret and resentment in Edwards eyes when he looked at me. The pity I always felt coming from him. Every doubt and insecurity rushed my mind. I pushed away from Edward as if he were burning me. Pushed him away and pushed my way to the door.

I could hear him calling my name. His desperate begs for me to stop ignored. I nearly fell out of the door and ran to the first cab I saw waiting on the corner. Slamming the car door and shouting an address was the last thing I consciously remember. The entire ride home was a blur. I stared out the window, not blinking. Not thinking. Definitely not thinking. Not thinking about the hurt in his eyes, not thinking about the sadness in his voice. Definitely not thinking about that.

The car stopped in front of my home and I asked the cabbie to wait while I got some money, only just realizing I didn't have my purse. I ran inside and grabbed some spare cash from the jar in the kitchen and rushed out to pay the man. Walking slowly back to the house, I wrapped my arms around myself. The humid Louisiana night didn't feel so warm anymore. I knew it didn't have anything to do with the temperature and everything to do with his arms no longer wrapped around me.

Esme met me at the door, concern all over her face. "Is everything okay? You're home pretty early?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," I lied easily. "Just wasn't feeling too well and decided to call it a night."

"Oh, do you want me to stay a while? I could make you some tea." She asked sweetly. The compassion in her eyes was identical to her son's.

"No. You go on home to Carlisle. Thank you so much for watching Morgan."

"Okay then. She has been asleep for about an hour now. She fought it as long as she could." Esme said with a little laugh. She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. Placing her hand on my shoulder as she passed, "Let me know if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you again." I locked up the door behind her. After pulling my heels off, I quietly crept up the stairs. I opened Morgan's door and peeked inside. Once I saw that she was sound asleep, I walked in and stood next to her crib. Watching her beautiful face. Relaxed and peaceful. Her chest rising and falling with each breath.

I was so content in just watching my niece sleep that I didn't notice a car parking in the driveway. A door opening and then closing. The quick footsteps up the stairs. So when I heard my name I was startled. Whipping my head around, I found Edward standing in the doorway. Watching me as intently as I watched Morgan.

"What the hell happened, Bella? Why did you leave?" he asked. He didn't sound upset or angry. Just resigned.

"I didn't feel well. I wanted to come home." I responded. Spitting out the same lie I gave Esme so easily. "I wanted you to stay and enjoy your birthday, so I didn't wait." I couldn't even look him in the eye. I looked back over my shoulder to Morgan. Still sleeping serenely.

"Okay," he said simply.

"Okay?" I asked confused. He has never accepted an excuse so easily.

"Yea, okay. I decided to come home, too. So since we are both home, do you want to watch a movie or something?" His shoulders were squared, feet firmly on the floor, his body completely blocking the door. My only means of escape.

"Uh, well I was thinking of taking a bath. Then getting to bed. I do have to work tomorrow. Maybe another time?" I stumbled and stammered my way through my words, hoping he would accept these excuses just as easily.

"Oh, right. Another time then." He responded confidently. I didn't understand what was going on. His laid back attitude was throwing me off. And his sexy, self-assured pose against the door frame was messing with my head. I couldn't stop my eyes from roaming his body.

"Alright then." I grabbed the baby monitor off Morgan's changing table and proceeded towards the door. Edward still hadn't moved from his pose as a male model. I eyed the small space that his body didn't fill and started to suck in as much of my body to fit through. If I had to rub against him, my very weak resolve would crumble.

After just making it out the door, Edward called my name. My name had never sounded so sexy. "Bella," he paused waiting for my eyes to meet his. "I know what I want for my birthday."

"Huh?" I was gone. So, so far away.

"My birthday…did you forget again?" he teased. "You said I could name anything I wanted and I know what I want."

Without another word, his lips were on mine. Moving slowly but fiercely. His hand wrapping around the back of my head, holding my face to him securely. His other arm snaked around my waist, gently pulling my body to his. A small whimper left my chest and then my body was responding just as forcefully as his.

I pulled his head closer to mine, my fingers wrapped around his soft hair. My tongue moving against his. My lips pulling back for the tiniest bit of oxygen before going back for more. Once I was effectively lost, never to be found again, Edward pulled back. Pulled away from me and looked into my eyes.

"I already know, Bella. What you are still trying to figure out, I've known for a while. But I will wait for you. However long it takes. I will wait for you." He said cryptically. "Now go take your bath, you have an early morning. Good night."

He gave one more peck to my lips and strutted down the stairs mumbling something about the best present ever. I stood in the same place, unable to move. Unable to look away from the place he just disappeared from.

Shaking my head, I hoped it would jumpstart my brain to begin working again. I had completely forgot what I was doing and where I was going. Hell, I couldn't even remember my name. I shuffled along to my room. Quickly shutting my door when I heard Edward's footsteps on his way back up the stairs.

I stared at myself in the mirror for a long time, just mumbling over and over. What the hell was that? _That was the best kiss of my life. That's what that was. _

I turned the knob, quickly filling my tub with hot water. I should probably sit in cold water. _Cold water wouldn't do anything to cool me down._

My numb fingers pulled the clothes off my body awkwardly. It was like every part of my body was separated from my body. Each part working independently. And I wasn't controlling any of them. I stepped into the warm water and sank down until my face was the only thing above water. My heart was still pounding against my chest, the sound amplified under the water.

Closing my eyes, I tried to let the soothing smells of the bath salts relax me. But the only thing I could smell was Edward. Running my tongue over my lips to wet them, I tasted him. A moan escaped my chest as I remembered the feel of his hands on me. My hand followed the path I wish Edward's hands would have taken. Over my smooth stomach, past my navel, further.

My leg moved to the edge of the tub, giving my fingers more room to move. I had my eyes squeezed tight as I thought of Edward's hands, mouth, body. How good it would feel to have his fingers on me instead. I couldn't stop the sounds and words flowing from my mouth. My body no longer belonged to me.

My body exploded into tremors, sending water over the edge and onto the floor. Edward's name spilled from my lips over and over again.

I opened my eyes slowly, half expecting him to really be in the room with me. It was like I could actually feel him there.

Embarrassed by my display of self-love, I quickly drained the water and dried myself off. I threw on my fluffy robe and made my way to the kitchen for some ice water.

Standing outside my bedroom door was Edward. Wearing a pair of pajama pants and a smug grin.

"You grabbed the wrong baby monitor," he said, unable to wipe the smile from his face. He placed the monitor in my hand. "Good night Bella." He gave me a wink, kissed the top of my head and strolled into his room.

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A/N: Make up for my long vacation? No? Okay. I'll keep writing.

Love to hear from you, but I expect nothing.

~Ashlei~


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews. You guys are awesome.**

**I don't own anything!**

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Chapter 13

Are You Gonna Go My Way?

As I strutted my way down the stairs, the song from Saturday Night Fever played in my head. I was one smooth dude.

I left Bella frozen in place after kissing the hell out of her. I knew I could have taken it farther. Pushed her further. I could feel her need for me in that kiss. She wanted me.

But I needed her to wake up first. She needed to realize that she loves me just as much as I love her. _That's right people… I said love._

It's ridiculous how much I love that infuriatingly stubborn woman. I have been waiting for what seems like an eternity for her to see that I'm not going anywhere. She needs to see that I want to be here. With her. Next to her.

Alice told Jasper, who told me, that Bella has this weird misconception that I'm here because I feel sorry for her. That I'm just chivalrous and doing what I feel like I have to do. Which is completely absurd. I'm not that much of a gentleman.

I don't think the most stand-up guy could put up with Bella's hot and cold attitude. Which proves that I don't have a choice in the matter. I can't live without Bella in my life. I wouldn't have been able to stay away from her even if we hadn't been thrown together in the wake of tragedy.

My feelings for Bella have always been there. They became stronger over time, with me realizing that I was falling in love with her after Morgan was born.

Watching her hold that tiny baby, who owned my heart at first sight, just made something click. Everything fit and I hoped I would get to see Bella holding our children someday. Sweet I know. Okay, that wasn't my only thoughts, but those images did go through my mind. In between flashes of how Bella and I would make those babies. Hey I'm a man. Sweet sensitive thoughts are always broken up with pictures of boobs. It's just a fact. It can't be helped.

Regardless, I knew Bella was going to be mine. Forever. Which is why when Jasper told me that shit about Bella's idiotic assumptions, I wanted to just shake her and tell her she was a crazy person. But Jasper swore me to secrecy. Something about girl code. Whatever. I had been pumping information from Jasper ever since. You know, during our manly chats about football.

I just needed to know if her resolve was weakening in the slightest. Tonight proved it was. The past months, Bella has gone out of her way to avoid getting close to me. I mean we live together. I see her every day. Since we work opposite schedules, we don't see each other for long, but still. On the nights I'm off and we are home alone together, she runs and hides as soon as she can. We usually have dinner together, only talking about impersonal topics of course. _It's getting hot outside. The traffic was really bad today. Did you catch the news today?_ It was beyond frustrating.

The only way I could engage her in a lengthy conversation was if I talked about Morgan. Which I didn't mind too much. I actually loved talking about Morgan, to anyone who would listen and to some people who wouldn't. Seriously people, she was the best baby ever. So cute and sweet and smart. God I could go on forever. It was kind of pathetic how wrapped I was around her little finger.

Watching her grow up and learn everyday was such a gift. I would never stop being grateful that Ben and Angela trusted us to give Morgan the love they were no longer able to give her. This situation has never been a burden to me. I am one lucky guy. I would give anything to have Ben and Angela back, but since I knew that wasn't a possibility, I would do everything they asked of me and more.

My life couldn't be more perfect. Well I guess it could. Bella could stop being so blind. Then it would be perfect. But today I put a dent in her armor. She couldn't push her feelings down fast enough. I saw. I was able to peek into her mind for a moment. Tonight was just the beginning.

I knew she wouldn't be able to refuse going out for my birthday. She did forget about it, which stung a little. I played it out to my advantage in the end though. Bella spent the whole night trying to make up for her lapse in memory. It was really unnecessary. I would never hold it against her. I know what a tough year this has been.

She looked beautiful tonight, but that was nothing new. She always looked beautiful. I was able to make her smile and laugh, which was great. She doesn't do that nearly enough anymore. It was nice to see her happy. I teased her and she came back with her smartass comments, just like old times.

Once we got to my bar she really started to loosen up. It could have been the shots she downed, but I wasn't complaining. She needed to relax some.

When I pulled her into my arms on the dance floor, everything felt so right. She fit so perfectly against me. She was home to me. My everything.

I felt her shift in attitude immediately. She ran away, like usual. But I wasn't giving up. Not that easy. Not ever. I followed her home and being able to see just that small glimmer of response from her on the dance floor gave me the confidence I needed. The confidence to push her just a little. The confidence to press my lips against hers, something I had wanted to do forever.

I told her I would wait for her. Whenever she decided to wake up, I would be there waiting. I strolled off, leaving her to contemplate my words. Hoping she would realize immediately and come chasing after me. She didn't. And that was okay. Like I said, I wasn't going anywhere.

After locking up everything downstairs, I made my way back to Morgan's room. Planning on giving her a quick kiss goodnight, I stopped when I heard Bella's voice in the room. I poked my head in cautiously, but didn't see her.

I then saw where her voice was coming from. The baby monitor. She had grabbed the wrong one.

I picked it up from Morgan's changing table and walked from the room. I didn't want it to wake Morgan and I wanted to see what Bella was mumbling. So far she just kept repeating oh my god over and over again. I heard her say something about the best kiss of her life and I threw my hand in the air.

The water turned on in her bathroom. I could hear it hitting the tub through the monitor and through her door, which I was suddenly leaning against. My hand hovered over the door knob, trying to talk myself out of being patient and waiting for her to come to me. It was difficult. She was naked in there after all.

I turned and walked into my room instead, sitting down on my bed. Bella must have had the monitor sitting pretty close to the tub because I could hear when she dipped one foot, then the other, into the water. I imagined her perfect body submerged in the warm water. Her skin flushing from the heat, head to toe. Slick and wet.

And now I was hard. Taking a couple deep breaths, I was able to calm myself. Until I heard her moan. I listened harder, unsure if a moan was even what I heard. Then I heard another. _Is she?_

I could hear the water slightly sloshing against the tub. Her breathing coming out in short pants. _Holy shit! She is!_

I didn't know what to do. I felt bad about invading her privacy, but come on. The love of my life was in the next room pleasuring herself.

Any guilty thoughts I had flown from my mind when I heard her moan my name. She said my name. I was glad no one was there to see the happy dance I was currently doing.

I moved the monitor closer to my ear; I didn't want to miss anything. Her breathing was faster now. I could hear the water spilling over the edge of the tub. My own breathing was getting shallow as I could tell she was getting close. I remembered those moans like it was only yesterday that she was lying underneath me.

Bella called my name loudly over and over as she pushed herself over the edge. I would have heard her calling out to me even if I didn't have the monitor in my hand. I sat frozen just looking at the door, talking myself out of running into her room as she called me.

I looked down at the speaker when I heard Bella release a shaky breath and pull the plug in the tub. The water washing over her body and down the drain. Imagining her running a towel all over her body, wiping away the moisture had me standing up. Thinking about her smooth bare skin, had me walking to her door. Wanting to see her make those sounds in person, had me placing my hand on her door knob.

Just as I was about to open the door and pull Bella to me, she appeared in front of me. I jumped a little at her sudden appearance. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. Drops of water still clung to her neck and her hair hung wet around her shoulders. After noticing me, she pulled her robe closed a little tighter.

I smiled at her. My lust filled brain preventing me from talking at that moment.

I held the baby monitor out to her, finally finding my voice and telling her about her mix up. The look on her face told me that she immediately knew I heard everything. I placed a kiss to the top of her head and wished her a good night. I walked quickly to my room and shut the door, giving her a little privacy to take in her embarrassment.

After lying down in my bed, I heard her stomp angrily down the stairs. I couldn't wipe the grin from my face. I tried, but I couldn't find it in me to care that Bella was pissed. Even if this set me back all the progress we made tonight. Knowing that she was touching her delectable body to thoughts of me was priceless.

I knew I would catch hell from her tomorrow. She wouldn't let this go. I'm sure she was plotting her revenge right now. But I would be ready and waiting for anything she had. I fell asleep to the memories of her soft lips on mine and a soundtrack of her moans.

The next morning, I woke before Bella and Morgan. I decided to make breakfast for Bella as a peace offering. I knew I would be lucky if all she did was throw it at me. Regardless, I pulled out all the stops. Biscuits, gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, as well as some hash browns. I was just finishing up the eggs when I could hear Morgan jabbering in her room. After plating everything I ran upstairs and scooped up my precious girl. I was rewarded with a giggle after blowing a raspberry on her cheek.

"Who's hungry? Is my pretty girl hungry?" I asked, touching my nose to hers. She placed her tiny hand over my mouth effectively shutting me up.

"What? Is my breath bad?" I questioned through her fingers. Morgan just gave me a little smile. "Okay, I can take a hint. Let's get you changed and then we'll feed you. Ya mean thing."

I took care of all Morgan's morning needs and place her in the high chair with her bottle. As I was walking over to the cabinet to grab a jar of peaches for her breakfast, Bella comes sauntering down the stairs into the kitchen. She was wearing the sexiest dress I have ever seen. The creamy skin of her legs on full display ending in a pair of heels that I wanted wrapped around my waist. _Holy shit, she was trying to kill me._

I stood frozen, holding a jar of baby food, staring at the goddess that had just entered the room.

"Good morning. Something smells great." Bella said. _What the hell, why what she in such a good mood?_

I was expecting to be cursed at, thought maybe she would get a few punches in, a thoroughly pissed off Bella. But no, she was happy. Perky even. And her attitude wasn't the only thing perky this morning.

She walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. Her bare arm brushed against mine as she reached for the sugar. I couldn't move. I just stood stupidly in the same spot. My hands suspended in the air and mouth hanging open.

"Is there some breakfast for me?" She asked sweetly. She took her cup and sat down on the stool next to Morgan's chair.

"Uh…" I responded. It was all I could say. Morgan let out a frustrated yell, impatient that I wasn't moving with her food.

"Give me that," Bella said, pointing to the jar. She reached across the table taking the peaches from my hand, the move allowing me to see straight down the top of her dress. Her tits were squished together by a black bra. They were obviously begging me to release them and take them into my hands. I could almost hear them speaking to me. I let out a strangled groan and continued to listen to the pleas from inside Bella's bra.

"Can you make me a plate, while I feed her? I'm just dying to get a taste of your sausage." she purred.

"Uh…" Obviously I still couldn't talk. I forced more words from my mouth. "Okay?"

I grabbed our plates and placed one in front of her. I took a seat across from her, never taking my eyes away.

"Oh Edward," she moaned. "This plate is huge. How am I ever going to be able to finish all this? Everything looks so good."

My eyes popped out of my head. The way she moaned my name is the exact same way she said it last night in the tub. I swallowed loudly, my mouth suddenly dry.

She speared a sausage with her fork and placed it between her pretty pink lips, moaning loudly when it touched her tongue. "Your sausage is amazing Edward. It tastes so good."

"Uh…" I couldn't even eat my food. I just sat and watched her take one indecent bite after the other. The food didn't have anything to do with the drool coming from my mouth. I reached down and adjusted myself in my thin pajama pants. I felt like I could explode at any minute. Cumming in my pants like a thirteen year old would be beyond embarrassing.

_Embarrassing. That was it. _Damn, Bella was playing me. She clouded my brain with her tight dress and fuck me shoes. But now I saw what was going on. What she was trying to do. She was embarrassed that I had heard her last night and now she was trying to embarrass me.

I smirked at her as she continued to go on and on about my sausage.

"Bella?" I called, waiting for her to look me in the eye. She was shocked for a second; probably surprised I could remember her name. "You know my sausage is all yours if you ever want seconds."

Bella cut her eyes at me and dropped her fork against her plate. She pushed away from the table not saying another word. She knew her game was up.

"I'm going to work," she said tersely. She walked out of the room after giving Morgan's cheek a kiss. I heard the front door slam shut a few moments later and I laughed a little at her anger.

"Bebe" Morgan cooed in the direction of the door.

"Yep Bebe went bye bye, little lady. She thought she could get your Uncle Edward." I said looking at Morgan's goop covered face. She just smiled around a mouth full of peaches. I was finally able to finish up my breakfast without the live action porn sitting across from me.

After cleaning up Morning and washing the dishes, I decided to take Morgan to the park. There was a great one just down the road from the house, so I packed her bag, slathered her with sunscreen and we were off.

Morgan had a ball swinging and going down the slide with me. I had just as much fun as her. We were able to play for a little over an hour before Morgan started to get fussy. I strapped her into her car seat and headed towards the house. She fell asleep before we even made it around the corner.

Since she was sleeping so peacefully, I decided I would stop by the bar and get some paperwork done. If I completed everything now, I wouldn't need to come in later. Which meant more time with my girls. With that motivation, I was done with inventory and all the prep work for tonight's staff after a few hours. They would appreciate that.

Checking the clock on the wall, it was near lunch time. Since I was too distracted to eat much of my breakfast, I was starving. I was craving sushi and made up my mind to order to go and drive over to Bella's work. Maybe I would get a repeat of this morning and listen to her moan again.

I didn't know what her schedule was like today, but I was in luck when I pulled up and saw both her and Alice's cars in front. Hopefully they hadn't eaten yet. I grabbed Morgan's carrier in one hand and the bags in the other and headed to the door. Setting the bags down briefly, I opened the door and walked into the beautifully decorated room.

Alice was sitting at her desk in the corner, filing her nails. She looked up when she heard the door close and smiled.

"Hey, what are y'all doing here?" she asked walking over to grab the bags.

"Well Morgan expressed that she really missed her Aunt Bella and demanded we come visit her. So we picked up lunch and here we are."

"Morgan missed her huh?" Alice said skeptically.

"Oh yea, she is very persuasive you know." I set her carrier down in one of the chairs by Alice's desk and looked at Morgan who was just beginning to wake from her nap.

"Yes she does look like she is in desperate need to see Bella."

"Hey, you didn't see her earlier. But you know women. Can never make up their minds."

"Are you talking about Morgan or Bella?" Alice responded.

I barked out a laugh at her question and answered, "Both I guess."

"You can have a seat; she's in with a new client right now. It should be wrapping up shortly though. She'll be happy that she doesn't have to wait for lunch." Alice said blowing out a breath. "Kudos to you by the way for whatever you did to piss her off this morning. She's been on a warpath since she came in."

"What makes you think I did something?" I asked dubiously. Alice just raised an eyebrow at me in answer. "Okay, it was me. Sorry she's taking it out on you."

"No don't be. I would rather see her worked up about something than be in constant mope mode. Her self-sacrificing attitude is getting old. She's coming back into herself though." Alice smiled at her last words.

"Yeah, she is. I can tell." I said, smiling with her.

"Hell everyone can tell she is feeling more like herself with that dress she has on today. I assume that was for your benefit?"

"I think it was my punishment." I laughed thinking about my state of shock this morning when I saw her.

Just as Alice was about to ask for more information, Bella's office door opened and the object of my affection walked out followed by some guy. Some guy that was blatantly checking out her ass. _What the hell?_

Bella turned around and his eyes snapped up to her face. "It was very nice to meet you Mark and I'm excited to start working with you." Bella said, extending her hand to him.

"Not as excited as I am, Ms. Swan," he said, placing a light kiss to her knuckles. The hair on the back of my neck was standing on end. Bella gave him a small smile and politely pulled her hand away.

"I will be in touch soon." Bella led him to the door and noticed me standing by Alice's desk. She gave me a questioning look but turned her attention back to the douchebag in front of her. "Alice and I will work on some ideas and I'll have some drawings for you to look at."

"I look forward to seeing anything you have to show me." He said in a sly voice. _Okay, who the fuck was this guy. What a creep._ I cleared my throat loudly and the asshole looked over to me and then down to baby seat next to me. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm keeping you from your next appointment."

"He's not a client," Bella answered. _Yeah, fucker! I'm not a client._

"No, we just stopped by to have lunch with our Bella." I said, pointing to Morgan and myself.

"I wasn't aware you were married Bella. Your daughter is beautiful. Looks just like you," the asshole said. He didn't even look down at Morgan. His eyes never left my face. He gave me a little smirk that I took exactly how he delivered it. He was challenging me. I returned his expression with one of my own. _Game on fuck face._

"I'm not married. Edward is…" She corrected._ Why did she tell him that? Why did she want him to know she was single?_ I could sense that she was getting annoyed with this conversation, so I decided to keep it going a little longer. Before she could finish, I jumped in.

"We live together. It's pretty great." I said, walking over a putting an arm around Bella's shoulders. She stepped out from my hold and looked at me like I had grown another head. I looked back at her with a questioning expression. Maybe she was interested in this clown.

"Oh, you're the nanny. I see now. That's great. Well it was nice to meet you Edmund," the dickhead said. "I've got to run though. I have a surgery scheduled at two. Bella, I look forward to hearing from you."

Before I could get one word out, he was out the door. _Asshole!_

"What was that _Edmund_? What were you trying to do?" Bella asked pissed off and glaring at me. "This is my business. I don't need you coming in here, marking territory that doesn't belong to you."

"I brought you lunch. I thought it would be a nice surprise." I replied. The comment about territory not belonging to me was a little over the line. That hurt a little.

"Well you could have called first. I am working here."

"It wouldn't have been a surprise if I called first." I mumbled. Bella ignored me and bent over to pick up Morgan out of her carrier. Her ass sticking out looked awesome and I took a few minutes to admire it. "I brought sushi, are you hungry?"

"Starved, thanks." She answered while placing kisses all over Morgan's face. I looked over to Alice, who was being awfully quiet, and she just sat staring at us with a smile. I pulled out all the boxes from the bags and placed them on the work table in the next room. Everyone sat down and starting pulling pieces from the different rolls and placing them on their plate.

I told Bella about me and Morgan's trip to the park this morning and how much fun she had. Alice gushed about some china pattern she put on her registry and having to meet with a caterer for a tasting. I didn't have any idea what she was talking about so I just nodded my head. After all the food was gone, we cleaned up the trash and I packed up Morgan's bag.

I stood awkwardly by the door for a second before Bella spoke. "Thanks for lunch Edward."

"No problem. It was nice; I'll have to do that again." I fumbled with my keys for a second and then looked up at her.

"Yea, it was. Just call first next time." She smiled and said she would see us at home later.

Once I got home, I decided to cut Bella some slack. I would hold off on pushing her for a few days. Just let everything marinate for a while. Then I would take a couple steps forward, hopefully she would follow.

So that's what I did. I just let things happen. I didn't goad her about what I have been referring to in my head as the Bella Touch Fest. I didn't try to kiss her or touch her any anyway. And things settled into a comfortable friendship.

The next couple of weeks were nice. I had changed my schedule around at work, taking Morgan with me during the days so I could have the nights off to spend at home. Bella wasn't trying to run away from me anymore. She would hang out with me at night after dinner. We would watch TV or play Scrabble, which she would always kick my ass in. _I let her win. That's my story and I'm sticking to it._ But the important thing was she was opening up to me. Letting me in just a little at a time.

She would talk about work and Alice. She would ask about the bar and my family. We were having real conversations. And all of that was great, but it still wasn't enough. I didn't want to just be Bella's friend. I wanted to be her everything. I wanted to be her friend. I wanted to be her lover. I wanted to be her husband, but I would settle for boyfriend for now. I mean I didn't want her to have a heart attack or anything.

I was trying so hard to be patient. It was unbelievably hard though. There were so many times that I had to actually physically restrain myself from revealing too much and spooking her. When she would smile at me, her real smile, me professing my love to her was on the tip of my tongue. Or when she would beat me at a game and would do this little bouncy dance, I would be seconds away from grabbing her face and kissing her. But I knew waiting her out was the right thing to do. I didn't want her to feel like I was forcing myself on her. I wouldn't want her to ever think back and feel like I took advantage of her when she was in pain from losing her sister.

That pain was still very much real. As it always would be. Occasionally I could hear her crying in her room at night. And she would usually break down when we visited the cemetery. I would just wrap my arms around her as she cried into my chest. I was grateful that she allowed me to comfort her, even if it was very seldom. It kept me from feeling completely useless.

Things were getting better though. She was still seeing her grief counselor once a month and would actually ask for help now. She no longer had any problems telling me when she needed me to do something and would also call my mom frequently for her help or advice.

We spent Bella's birthday at home with take out and some movies. She didn't want to go out and I didn't care either way. As long as I was with Bella, it didn't matter what we were doing. My attempts at baking her a cake were sadly disappointing. Apparently baking is not my forte. I mean who fucks up a box cake mix? Bella just laughed and thanked me for my effort. She enjoyed the ice cream I bought to go with it.

She asked me repeatedly not to get her a present, since she was still feeling bad about not getting anything for my birthday. My reply was always that she gave me the best gift I could ask for and one I didn't ask for. Bella's cheeks would blush to the shade of a ripe tomato and then she would usually curse at me. She thought I was teasing her, but I couldn't be more serious. My birthday wish list would be the same every year.

The days continued to pass and Morgan was well on her way to walking. She cruised around the room holding onto the furniture as she went. Her mouth never closed as she jabbered to everything around her and moved her chunky hand up and down waving bye bye. Bella was excited when Morgan's hair was finally long enough to hold big bows other than the headband things she normally put on her. She went out and spent almost a hundred dollars on hair decorations. I just raised an eyebrow when she came home with the big bag. "Morgan needs these things, Edward. She likes her hair to look pretty." she said condescendingly. I didn't say anything, just laughed whenever Morgan would pull at her hair as soon as Bella was done fixing it.

The only thing unusual about our nights was that my brother and Rosalie were stopping by for visits a lot more often. Their excuse being that they just wanted to spend time with us. To which I immediately called bullshit on and tried to get the real reason out of Emmett, but he would just smile at me and shrug his shoulders. Once I had decided it didn't matter, I just enjoyed spending time with my brother. Whatever the reason.

One night after they stopped by for dinner, Bella dropped a bomb on me.

"I think Rosalie is pregnant." she said casually while we were washing the dishes from dinner. I nearly dropped the plate I was holding.

"What? Why do you think that?" I asked. I don't know why I was so shocked. Emmett and Rosalie had been married for years. I guess since they had never mentioned wanting kids, I had assumed they didn't want any.

"Don't you think it's odd that they visit us all the time now? And Rosalie just has this look. I recognize it. It was the same look Angela had. She just looks happy and scared and excited." Bella answered. There was a wistful tone to her words that made me smile.

"Well that's cool. They will be great parents and we already know I'm a great uncle." Bella laughed at my response and flicked dish soap bubbles at me. Of course my ninja skills allowed me to dodge her attack. She just laughed harder at my jerky movements.

It didn't take long for Rosalie and Emmett to confirm our suspicions. They made the announcement to everyone at my parents' house during Christmas dinner. Everyone traded hugs and congratulations. Sensing our excitement, Morgan clapped happily in her chair, smiling at everyone.

Once everyone calmed down, we passed out our gifts to each other. Morgan tugged at the colorful paper on the boxes in front of her. Her practice ripping the paper off her presents earlier that morning after Santa paid her a visit allowed her to pull confidently at the edges. She let out a giggle each time the loud tearing sound hit her ears. Everyone watched as she peeled half the paper off a gift before moving onto another. She didn't have the patience to finish unwrapping one before a different color paper caught her eye.

My mom stood off to the side, the camera in her hands never stopped flashing. Bella placed a flat box in my lap as she took the seat next to me. I smiled at her and handed her the gift that took me months to find. My stomach knotted as my nerves took over; hope that she would like the gift filled me. I pulled at the paper on my gift just so I wouldn't have to watch her face as she opened hers.

When I heard her gasp, I looked over to see her staring down at the red leather book in her hands. Bella ran her hand over the gold print and looked over to me. I could see tears in her eyes but she didn't say anything, just stared at me.

"It's a uh…limited edition. If you look inside, it's signed by Alice Hargraves. She…she was the inspiration for the book, you probably already knew that." I stumbled nervously over my words. If Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was her favorite book, she would have already known that. When I saw a tear spill over and slide down her cheek I started to get more nervous. "I…uh…I remembered you told me that it was your favorite book. That your mom read it to you and Angela. I just thought maybe you would want to read it to Morgan."

Bella still didn't speak a word. She just looked at me with wide eyes and her mouth opening and closing like a fish. The entire room was quiet, everyone watching nervously for Bella's reaction.

Just when I was about to seriously freak out, Bella threw her arms around my neck and pulled me close. She sobbed quietly as my arms reached around her to hold her tight. I ran my hands up and down her back, whispering words of comfort to her. Without either of our knowledge, my family exited the room to give us some privacy.

When Bella's tears started to slow, she pulled away from me and looked up at me with her pitiful red rimmed eyes. "Thank you so much Edward. This means so much to me. Thank you." she said, still catching her breath.

"You're welcome. I didn't mean to upset you. I guess I should have given it to you at home." I gripped her hand tightly in mine, not wanting to break contact with her just yet. She smiled at our joined hands and then at me.

"No, I just…wow…this is just the best present. I can't wait to start reading it to Morgan. Angela would have really liked that." She rubbed her hand over the cover again and looked inside at the signature. Closing the book, Bella turned to me and smiled again. "Okay, your turn. Open yours. It is nowhere as good as your gift, but I hope you like it."

I finished unwrapping my package with one hand, my other still gripping hers. She wasn't pulling her hand away, so I would enjoy her warmth for as long as I could. Pulling the cover off of the brown box, I pushed the red tissue paper to the side. A huge smile covered my face as I looked down and saw a picture frame. Inside was a picture was of Morgan and me, both with chocolate pudding smeared on our faces. Laughing lightly, I remembered the day of the picture. Morgan was just learning to hold her spoon and decided to feed me as well as herself. The picture was proof that she got more on my face than she did in my mouth. The frame had the words #1 Uncle written across the top.

"Thank you Bella. This is great. Really great." I pulled her in for a hug and a quick kiss to the lips. I didn't even realize that I had kissed her until I backed away. It was just so natural and Bella didn't say anything or look put off by the display of affection, so I figured she was okay with it. _Score for me!_

My family inched back into the room, looking to be sure the coast was clear. Once they saw that we were all smiles again, everyone resumed opening presents. Morgan finally got all of her gifts completely unwrapped and pulled herself up on the coffee table. She had a cloth doll clutched in one arm and started to walk along the table towards Bella and I. Every few steps she would look down at the doll, smile and jabber and then look to us.

After reaching the end, she just kept going. Morgan continued walking the few steps to the sofa we were seated on without the support of the table to keep her balance. Her steps were jerky and slow, but she made it to us. Everyone in the room watched her with an amazed expression. Morgan's first steps were met with claps and cheers and excitement from all. Poor Morgan didn't know what was going on. She held up her doll and gave a wide grin. Probably thinking we were as excited about the doll as she was.

She placed her baby in my lap and reached up for me. I pulled her into my lap as she continued to babble to the doll.

"I think she has a new friend," Bella said. She leaned in close to us, bending down to get to Morgan's eye level. I moved my arm behind Bella and let it rest on the back of the couch. My smile couldn't have gotten any bigger as I looked down at my girls. Best Christmas ever.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think.**

**~Ashlei~**


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own.**

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Chapter 14

Torture Me

"Ahh! I can't take it anymore. I'm going to lose it. Seriously lose my mind Alice. What am I going to do?" I asked my best friend exasperatedly.

"You already know what to do. Follow your heart and all that. What do you think about eggplant?" A clueless Alice responded. She was thumbing through bridesmaid dresses on a rack in the fourth store we visited today. I was exhausted.

I wish I had let her pick my dress when she was pestering me about it months ago. But I had stupidly refused to buy a bridesmaid dress for a wedding that hadn't even been proposed yet. I should have known to trust Alice. She has always had the ability to will her wants into realities. _Why couldn't she wish for me to hit the lottery?_

Since she decided that Jasper was the one and they would be married this spring, she worked her freaky magic and made it happen. Jasper proposed to Alice on Christmas morning.

And since it became official, her planning had only gotten worse. I had to hear wedding talk all day every day. Thoughts of firing her raced through my mind yet again. I knew if I did that I would never be able to leave my office again, I would be swamped. But I wouldn't have to listen to Alice blather on and on about seating charts and Jasper's Aunt Trudy being allergic to shellfish. _It may be worth it. _I could almost picture her designer shoes tapping out a beat in the line at the unemployment office. A smile crept onto my face at the thought.

"Hello…Earth to Bella. I am talking here. Stop fantasizing about Edward unless you are going to do something about it. And when I say do something I mean do him. Now, eggplant, yay or nay?" Alice snapped her fingers at me and held up two equally hideous dresses in front of me.

"Alice, I don't care. This is your day; I will wear whatever you tell me to. But if you want my honest opinion I think eggplant is way too dark for a spring wedding and will clash horribly with your other colors. But you want eggplant get fucking eggplant. Nobody will be able to draw their eyes away from the bridezilla walking down the aisle to notice what color my dress will be anyway." I said, raising my voice slightly. _Damn that felt good._

"Aww Bella, you're sweet. But you know there will be at least one person at my wedding that will notice what color you are wearing." She gave me a one armed hug and a smile. "Now if you will just provide me with your undivided attention for the next hour, we can finish. Then we can have lunch and I'll treat. At lunch you can bitch to me about Edward until you are blue in the face and wet in the panties. Deal?"

"You're gross." I said, my face scrunched up. "Whatever. Let's continue the madness." I placed my hands in my pockets and shuffled along behind her. I tried on what she wanted me to try on. Turned this way and that way. Didn't hit her when she told me one dress made me look hippy. I was on my best behavior for the next hour and a half. I kept my sanity by thinking about pink slips and where I would go about finding one for Alice.

Finally she chose a light pink almost white strapless dress that came to just below my knees. It was very nice considering the other dresses she had me try. I liked it, but at that point I would have been happy wearing a garbage bag if it meant I got to leave the awful store. I ordered my dress with the extremely perky sales girl and she walked us out of the store, wishing us both an absolutely perfect day. _I needed some of whatever she was on._

Alice chose an upscale restaurant around the corner from the store, which was pretty busy on the Saturday afternoon. Walking past the small crowd of people standing near the door, Alice made a beeline toward the wooden stand.

"Hello hun. I'm Alice Brandon and that is my boss Bella Swan." she whisper-yelled to the young hostess. "She is a producer for a new show that will be premiering on the Food Network next fall. We are in New Orleans scouting out a couple of restaurants that may be featured on the show. Would it be at all possible to get us a table for two towards the back of the dining room, so we are able to observe?"

"Oh, um, we have an hour wait right now," the unsuspecting girl stuttered, "but let me check with my manager."

"Thank you, that would be very much appreciated." Alice replied coolly. The hostess walked off, turning around to look back several times.

"You are going to hell. Straight to hell Alice." I leaned over and told my friend.

"Save me a seat bitch. Now shush, here comes the manager. Look important." She told me. Not wanting to have any part of this charade, I pulled out my phone and checked my mail.

"Hello ma'am, welcome to Cavanaugh's. Our hostess Kimberly was just filling me in on your request, I'm sure we would be able to accommodate you. She mentioned that you were from Food Network, which is my favorite channel by the way. What show was it again?" the handsome manager asked Alice. I could see the excitement in his eyes and shook my head at Alice's evilness.

"It's actually a new show that will be premiering in the fall. We can't release the name yet, I'm sure you understand." She replied with a wink.

"Of course. I know how those things are." He replied.

"Thank you, Tony," she said making a point of looking at his nametag. "Now we don't want any special treatment. Our observation has to be unbiased and uninfluenced. So please don't tell the chef or servers of our presence. Just treat us as you would any other customer. I can tell you give excellent service to everyone, so I know that won't be a problem." Alice gave him her best smile and topped it off with a touch of flirtation. It worked because the manager just stared for a minute before moving.

"Absolutely. If you would follow me this way." Tony stated. He led us through the busy dining room to a small table in the back. Just as Alice had requested.

"This is perfect Tony. Thank you so much." She said. She placed her hand against his shoulder and quickly sat down. I mumbled my thanks as he pulled out my chair. He left us with a promise of our waitress coming to take our drink orders and a smile.

"You are so bad. I can't believe you did that Alice. That was so embarrassing." I told her.

"What? I just did that so we wouldn't have to wait for a table. It's not like I'm going to ask him to comp our meal too." she replied. "Plus we will get excellent service. Now what are you going to have?"

I just shook my head and opened the heavy menu in front of me. Since Alice was buying, I decided to start with a martini. That was one of the many perks of living in New Orleans; no one ever gave you the side eye for ordering alcohol before noon.

Our waitress arrived seconds later, looking extremely nervous. "Hello ladies, I'm Julia. How are you doing today and can I get you something to drink?"

"We are doing great Julia." Alice replied. "And I'm going to have a bloody mary" _See I'm not the only lush._

"Okay great, and for you ma'am?" Julia asked, looking to me.

"Yeah, can I get a dirty martini with two olives?"

"Of course. I will go grab your drinks while you look over our menu. I'll be back in a moment." She said. The waitress turned and walked towards the bar. She had calmed down considerably, slipping into her normal routine.

"Alright lady, lay it on me. What did Daddy Cullen do this time?" Alice asked.

"He didn't do anything in particular Alice. He is just making staying away from him so difficult." I said with a huff.

"Ever thought about not trying to stay away? There really is no point in it. Edward will eventually get you to cave." She said while digging through her giant purse. She returned upright with a small notebook and a pen.

"What are you doing? Taking notes of my pathetic life?"

"Yes, I need to document your brand of craziness for future use. I'm sure my notes will baffle doctors' everywhere." she replied seriously. "I want to look like I'm taking notes on the restaurant. Duh!"

"Very thorough." I just shook my head at her. Our server arrived with my much needed drink and took our food order.

"You know, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Edward told Jasper that he isn't giving up on you. He is going to continue to fight you until he makes you feel his love or some shit like that." Alice said sipping her drink.

"Edward would never say something so stupid and Jasper gossips like an old lady." I responded.

"Jasper Whitlock is a saint. You shut your whorish mouth about my future husband. And Edward would absolutely say something that stupid." She laughed.

"He would have to be a saint to put up with you." I chewed on my last olive and set the pick in my now empty glass. That drink was gone entirely too quickly. The food hadn't even arrived yet. _This is what Alice does to me. Drives me to drink I tell you._

"Well my Jasper isn't the only one that has to put up with a crazy woman. Edward is really good for you Bella. Not just because of all the stuff you guys have been through. You were great together before any of this happened." When I huffed my disbelief, she continued. "Why do you think your sister chose you guys? She could see it."

Our food arrived and we ate in relative silence. Everything was excellent. The food, the service, the drinks. Alice was a terrible person for lying to these poor people, but she knew how to get what she wanted. After Tony, the manager, questioned our happiness with the meal, Alice paid the bill and left a very generous tip for their trouble.

I thought about what Alice had said the whole way home. If Edward had really told Jasper that, what would that mean to me? Would I really be able to keep him if I just let myself have him? Everything was so confusing. Why couldn't Edward just tell me how he felt instead of telling Jasper? Would it make a difference if he did? Question after question, but no answers.

I arrived home and smiled at Edward's car in the drive way. He was home. He was always home lately. Now that Morgan was older, she started going to work with Edward during the day which allowed him to be home at night. It was nice. I could admit that I enjoyed having him around.

After walking into the house, my ears were assaulted with Morgan's cries and pleas from Edward for her to stop crying. I immediately panicked and took the stairs two at a time, wanting to reach them as quickly as I could. Of course that is never a good idea when you are wearing heels. My foot slipped off stair four from the top causing me to face plant on the top step. The pain was sharp and intense.

"Fuuuck!" I yelled. My hands went to my nose and pulled away revealing bright red blood that was steadily gushing from my nose. Edward appeared above me holding a naked and dripping wet Morgan against his chest.

"Holy shit! Bella, are you okay?" He shouted at me worriedly, which brought on a fresh round of tears from Morgan.

"Yea, I'm fine. I just busted my nose. It's fine." I said in that weird nasal voice as I pinched my nose closed. "What's going on up here? Are YOU okay?"

Edward blew out a breath and reached down to help me up.

"I don't know what happened," he started. "Her diaper just exploded. I put it on wrong or something. There is poo everywhere." I chuckled at his use of the word poo and he cut his eyes at me.

"It's not funny. As soon as I saw that her diaper malfunctioned, I thought getting her into the bath would be the easiest way to clean her up. So I started the water and went to her room to undress her. But there was crap everywhere. I forgot about the tub and when I realized I had left the water running, there was already about an inch of water on the floor. There is also a good possibility that I have shit in my hair." Edward said quickly. Just as he finished his replay of the events, a wet spot appeared on the front of his shirt and slowly grew larger. He just bowed his head and looked down at me sadly. "And now I have shit and piss on me."

"I'm sorry. All of that sounds horrifying. What do you need me to do?" I asked seriously.

"Are you sure your nose is okay?" He questioned. He was concerned about me even though he was covered in shit and piss. _How sweet._

"Yes. I'm fine. It's already stopped bleeding see?" I took my hand away and Edward jerked back at the sight. Guess it didn't look all that great.

"Okay, would you grab all the dirty clothes and stuff from her room and I will finish washing her up?"

"Sure." I said. I walked past him and into Morgan's room. My hand went right back to my nose to keep the awful smell out. It smelled exactly like a diaper had exploded. I quickly picked up her clothes and threw them into a bag along with a mountain of baby wipes. Holding the bag as far away as I could, I took everything downstairs and threw it in the trashcan outside. Morgan had plenty of clothes and there was no way I was washing any of that.

I grabbed the mop and bucket and a can of air freshener on my way back upstairs. _I climbed them one at a time and held onto the banister. _Edward was in the foul room, drying off a smiling Morgan. I sprayed the room a few times while he quickly dressed her. He placed her in her crib with a few toys and looked over at me.

"Does your nose hurt?" Edward asked. I shook my head and tried to hold in my laughter while looking at him. His wet shirt. His crazy hair. He was a mess.

"You go take a shower and I'm going to go clean myself up." I commanded. He nodded and walked from the room.

I grimaced when I saw my face in the mirror. My nose bled quite a bit, leaving stains down my chin and onto my shirt. As I was wiping away the dried blood, I heard the shower turn on next door. I quickly changed my shirt and went to the other bathroom door. Edward had placed the wet rugs and towels on top of the mop bucket. I took them and placed them in the washer down stairs. After starting a wash, I headed back up to get the rest of the water off the bathroom floor. After knocking once, I opened Edward's bathroom door.

"Edward, I'm going to get the rest of this water up real fast. I don't want you to sli…" My words were cut off at the sight of a naked Edward standing in front of me. Naked and wet and naked. His hair was dripping and he held a towel to it as he stood frozen staring at me. _Did I mention he was naked? Okay just checking._ My eyes scanned the entire length of his body. The shocked expression on his face. His deep green eyes looking at me looking at him. The sparse hair on his toned chest leading down to his stomach, formed into soft curls from the wetness. Further down to where the star of all my self-love images resided. His softness grew harder under my watchful stare, finally breaking me of my spell when it twitched in my direction.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry." I quickly spit out. Turning around to exit, I slid on the water covering the floor. My arms flailed out to the side as I tried to catch myself. Edward grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him again, losing his balance in the process. We both toppled to the ground, me landing on top of a very naked and very wet Edward. I would never admit it to anyone, but ugh, it was magical. Like rainbows and butterflies. So good.

"Edward, are you okay?" I asked in a panic. His eyes were closed and he had a dreamy look on his face. I reached my hand up and placed it against his cheek, nudging a little. Still no response. "Edward. Edward, can you hear me?"

With no response, I reluctantly started to move from my position on top of him. His arms reached out, holding my hips to him forcefully.

"Of course I hear you, you're yelling in my ear." Edward said slowly, eyes still closed. "I just don't want you to move." His hands ran over my ass grinding me into his hardness. I shifted away from him, trying to free myself and he let out a groan. _Not even going to lie, it was hot. But it's not right, he could have a concussion._

"Edward, let me up." I requested, my voice shallow and breathy. His hands still firmly gripped my ass, slowly moving my body against his. It was my turn to let out moan as his hips moved beneath me.

"You knocked me down, woman. If you move, it's going to hurt. So don't move." He pleaded.

"Come on Edward, I need to look at your head."

"Oh, why didn't you say so? Of course you can look at my head." He opened his eyes and gave me a sly grin punctuated with a hip thrust. My eyes almost rolled back, but I was able to control it.

"Not that head, you perv." I pushed against his chest and stood above him. He placed his hands behind his head, looking up at me happily. He had no shame whatsoever.

"A few more minutes of that and we would have had another mess to clean up." Edward said proudly.

"You're disgusting. Go put some clothes on and I'll get you an icepack." I turned and walked from the room. It was a crime, which I would someday be punished for, telling him to put clothes on but if he didn't mine would have come off and that would be a problem. Or heaven. Whatever.

I ran downstairs and grabbed an icepack from the freezer and some aspirin, grabbing two for myself as well. My nose wasn't bothering me now, but better to be safe and all that.

Edward was pulling a shirt over his head when I peeked inside his door. His chest being covered kind of made me want to cry. A light knock on the door had him looking up at me, smiling. A beautiful smile, like I was the only person he wanted to see standing at his door.

"Hey, how's your head?" I asked. He reached a hand to the back of his head and winced a little.

"If I tell you it's horrible, are you going to take care of me?" Edward responded, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"I brought you an icepack. That's as far as my care taking abilities go."

"Well in that case, I'm fine. What about you? How is your nose?" he asked as he flopped back down on the bed and turned the TV on.

"It's okay. I took some aspirin for it, just in case it gets sore. I brought you some too." I handed him the tablets and he grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his bed. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, let's watch a movie." Edward scooted over to the far side of the bed, giving me room to sit down. When I didn't move he continued, "Come on Bella. I don't bite and you owe me. You got to see all my manly goods and made me fall, which could have possibly damaged my head permanently."

"You were already damaged." I responded. He poked his lip out slightly and gave me the puppy dog eyes. I cut my eyes at him but sat down anyway."Whatever, I almost broke my nose and it seemed you enjoyed falling down quite a bit." I quipped.

"You're right I did enjoy it very much. Now hush and let's watch Corbin Dallas try to save the world." Edward leaned back and put his arm around my shoulders pulling me to his side. I let him. It was nice.

After about twenty minutes of watching a movie I knew for a fact that Edward had seen about two hundred times, I looked up at him. He was thoroughly engrossed, like it was his first time seeing Chris Tucker try to make Super Green a catch phrase.

"You're bed is really comfortable." I stated. It really was. I was pretty darn close to falling asleep.

"Hmm, I think it has a lot to do with the person next to you in bed."

"Maybe. I miss my old bed. But I can't bear the thought of throwing out Ben and Angela's. You know?" I said seriously.

"Yeah, I know. But we also don't have to make the home we live in a shrine or anything. They wouldn't have wanted us to do that. Put things in storage that you don't want to get rid of and work your decorating skills to make this house more your style. You told me that you designed this house totally around Angela's taste. She would want you to put your mark on it now." Edward pulled me closer to his side as he said this.

"We'll see. I have been going a little crazy. I used to redecorate my house like every six months. I liked the change. But I don't know how to get over feeling like this is still their house. It's still hard for me to refer to it as my house or our house out loud. I know that sounds stupid. But it's true."

"It's not stupid. I know how you feel. Just think about it. There is no rush, but I for one would love to see your touch on the place. If you wanted to add on a naked room or something, I wouldn't be opposed to that either." He smiled at me and leaned down to kiss the top of my head. I smiled too.

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**A/N: Thank you so much to LissM, SonyaBrady1971, Linz832, & Lili82. They were my only reviewers for the last chapter. I am so appreciative for every review I receive. But come on guys. You can do better than that. So I'm issuing a challenge. I have 105 reviews at the moment. If we can make it to 150 reviews by next chapter, I will post an outtake of Bella's embarrassing moment from a couple chapters ago. Anyone want to see what would have happened if Edward didn't chicken out and went into Bella's bedroom. Let's get some reviews posted and maybe we will find out!**

**See you next time and Happy Holidays to everyone!**

**~Ashlei~**


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Guess what? I have a Beta! I know I can't believe it either! Thank you Sunflower3759 for offering and I'm happy I accepted. Now when I look back over my work, I won't cringe.

I still own nothing.

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Chapter 15

Trouble

I was having a terrible dream. Spiders crawled all over my face and into my mouth. I furiously tried to spit them out, with no success, only forcing them further down my throat. A huge granddaddy spider slowly walked its hairy legs up my bed and placed its heavy body on my chest. It turned its beady eyes on me and started to lower those pincher things towards my face. I desperately tried to pull my hands up to protect myself, but I was paralyzed, unable to move anything except my head. I thrashed back and forth trying to keep my face from being eaten by this beast of a spider. My eyes popped open and I sucked in a loud gasp. When I still felt fuzziness in my throat, I had a brief panic attack and thought that I was in fact being attacked by mutant spiders. But then I looked down and saw that in actuality, it was Bella who was trying to suffocate me, before sunrise.

Her head rested heavily on my chest, her hair splayed out over my face. She had one leg thrown over both of mine and had my arms pinned to the bed with her body. I was also pretty sure she was drooling a river down my stomach. Pulling my arm from her death grip, I tugged the hair from my mouth and wiped my eyes. I lifted my head and looked down at the woman sleeping deeply across my body.

Bella was snoring slightly with her mouth wide open. A trail of spit ran from her mouth and pooled just above my stomach. The makeup she wore the day before was smudged and smeared beneath her eyes and her clothes were a rumpled mess. And even with her all of her imperfections on display for me, she couldn't be more perfect. I couldn't love her more.

I smiled at my cheesiness and called her name in a groggy voice. With no response from the sleeping beauty, I called her name again and gave her a little shake.

"Bella, wake up." I said, my voice still rough with sleep. She hummed against my chest and pulled herself tighter against me. I gently shook her again. "Wakey wakey and I'll make you some eggs and bakey."

Bella didn't respond, only snuggled further into me. Normally I would have just enjoyed her being so close, but I needed to take a piss something awful. I shook her a little harder and pulled one of my legs free. Just as I started to roll my body away from hers, she brought her leg up, effectively kneeing me in my junk. In a move that was purely instinct, I flipped her sleeping ass off my bed and onto the floor below. My hands cupped my assaulted manhood and I curled into a fetal position.

"Ow, fuck!" Bella moaned from the floor. "What the hell, Edward? You couldn't shake me awake like a normal person? You throw me off the bed?"

"You kneed me in the balls." I coughed out. Suddenly Bella began laughing hysterically. I personally failed to see the humor in the situation, but whatever. I cut my eyes at her and started to hobble to the door. She was apologizing in between her giggles, which I say doesn't count. You can't laugh through an apology.

I made my way to the bathroom across the hall and locked the door to prevent a repeat of the night before. Bella called out another apology through the door and walked away. As I was coming out of the bathroom, Bella entered the hallway with a happy Morgan sitting on her hip. I playfully cowered away from Bella as she rolled her eyes and scooted Morgan further up her hip.

"I am sorry Edward. It was an accident. But between last night and this morning, I think I am subconsciously trying to seriously hurt you. So you better watch yourself." She said pointing a finger in my direction. I flinched away as she walked by me. I followed behind her, at a safe distance of course, making funny faces at Morgan. She giggled at me the whole way to the kitchen and tried to mock me by sticking out her tongue.

Bella and I worked together making breakfast and feeding Morgan, like we did every morning. We sat and enjoyed our food as Bella told me about her shopping trip with Alice the previous day. It was moments like the ones she described, that made me so happy I was a man. It was so much easier. Men really had it made. Jasper had sent me a text letting me know that we were going to get fitted for our tuxes in two weeks. I know when that day comes, we wouldn't be running all over New Orleans trying on numerous jackets in different colors. And it wouldn't take me months to pick what shoes I would wear and fret over whether or not this tone matched my skin.

I guess all women were not like that. Bella definitely wasn't. She dressed nicely, wore things that made her look smoking hot, even if it was just jeans and a tee shirt. But she didn't obsess over how she looked. Her not freaking out over me seeing her first thing in the morning was proof of that. Jasper once told me that he caught Alice waking up before him in the morning and putting makeup on just so he wouldn't see her without it. _Scary, I know. And he is marrying her!_ Although her scam on getting a table at that restaurant was genius, so I guess she does have some redeeming qualities.

We finished our meal talking about Morgan's upcoming birthday. I whispered and covered my mouth as I told her that I wanted to get a swing set put in the backyard. I know Morgan wasn't paying any attention to me, she was busy drawing on her highchair with a soggy teething biscuit, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise. I had already had a guy come out and give me an estimate on how much it would cost and let me look at the different options. It was going to be awesome.

"How do you feel about a petting zoo?" I asked Bella.

"I don't feel any particular way about them. Why?"

"No, I mean how do you feel about a petting zoo for Morgan's birthday?"

"What? No! She is only turning one Edward. I don't think she will even enjoy a petting zoo. It will probably scare her, hell it scares me. Farm animals are weird and who wants to pet them anyway? It isn't like petting a dog or a bunny. Plus they stink. Really, we will be lucky if Morgan stays awake for the entirety of the party." Bella said.

"I thought you didn't feel any particular way about a petting zoo? That sounded like you have some pretty strong feelings on the matter." I pushed my plate away and pouted a little.

"Aww, I'm sorry to crush your dream of feeding pellets to a dirty goat, but a petting zoo is not happening." She said. Judging from the sarcastic tone and condescending smirk on her face, I didn't think she was very sorry about crushing my dream.

"Fine, I was just asking what you thought about them. It's not like I called and booked anything." _I totally did. Need to remember to cancel that. _

Once Morgan effectively crushed her little biscuit into every crevice of her highchair and managed to smear it from her hairline to her chin, we decided to put the birthday planning on hold. I washed up the dishes while Bella cleaned up Morgan and got her dressed for the day.

Bella passed her off to me while she showered. Morgan and I played with blocks in the living room, and by played with I mean I built tall towers and she knocked them over. She laughed loudly at the look on my face every time she did it. Bella was definitely rubbing off on her.

When Bella returned downstairs, freshly showered and wearing a t-shirt dress thing and some tights, she sat down on the floor and pushed over the tower I had just built. She and Morgan started cracking up at my angry face. It is pretty pathetic when my angry face doesn't even intimidate a baby.

"What do you want to do today?" Bella asked as she began stacking blocks on top of each other.

"I don't know. The weather is supposed to be pretty nice today. Not too cold, want to do something outside?"

"Wanna go to the zoo?" She asked with a smirk.

"Ha ha."

"No really, we can go to the zoo. That will be fun."

"I thought you said animals are weird and they stink." I countered.

"No I said farm animals are weird and they stink. The animals at the zoo are way cooler than some goats and a few chickens. Now go get ready and I will get Morgan all packed up." She picked Morgan up and placed her in her nearby play pen. "You want to go bye bye, big girl? You want to go see some animals?"

Morgan clapped her hands and squealed at the question. Seeing her excitement got me excited and I jumped up from the floor and ran to get ready. I could hear Bella laughing at me as I pounded up the stairs.

After throwing some clothes on and taking care of all the necessities, I found Bella in the kitchen packing up Morgan's diaper bag.

"You put the stroller in the car, I will grab Morgan and then we can go." She said. I walked to the closet that stored the large stroller and pulled it out. "What, you're not running anymore?"

"Laugh it up lady. I've never been to the zoo here and this will be Morgan's first trip. It's exciting." I responded petulantly.

"You're right. It is exciting. I haven't been in years."

Once everything was loaded up in the car, and everyone was buckled in and buckled up; we travelled the few miles to the busy Audubon Park. On this beautiful Sunday morning, the park sidewalks were lined with bikers and joggers. Families sat in the grass, playing and enjoying the sunshine. The weather in my hometown of Chicago would have never been warm enough to allow a trip to the zoo in early January.

I found a parking spot fairly close to the zoo entrance and exited the car. After placing Morgan in the stroller, along with her bag, we bought our tickets and entered the gates. Bella grabbed a map and we started with the section closest to the entrance. Morgan bounced up and down in her seat as she watched the large elephants stand stoically in front of her, their ears flapping back and forth. She clapped her hands at the giraffes and made tiny growls at the lions pacing their enclosure.

It was clear that Morgan loved the animals. She smiled widely at every new one she saw. Bella would tell her the name of the animal and she would babble back, trying to repeat the words. Unfortunately all the excitement wore her out quickly and she was sleeping soundly in her stroller after only three habitats. Bella and I continued to walk around observing the graceful and majestic animals. The scenery between each area was equally enchanting. Large ancient oak trees lined our paths, with lacey moss hanging from every branch. The entire setting was just peaceful.

The camera never left Bella's hand. She had been snapping pictures since we walked through the gate, and when we arrived in the primate area, the camera flashed continuously.

"This is my favorite. Angela and I always loved the monkeys." She said excitedly. We stood and watched the huge gorillas for a while, laughing at the largest one as he posed for her pictures.

"I think that one is hitting on you." I told her, pointing at an especially flirty orangutan. Just as Bella looked over in the direction I was indicating, the monkey blew a kiss at her. His big lips pulling up into a full pout. She laughed and pulled her camera up to take a picture.

"I bet he does that to all the girls." Bella said. She turned to grab the map and study it for our next sight.

"No, I think that was special for you. There is something about you; you have that effect on people. Everyone can't help but fall in love with you." I responded. The words were out of my mouth before I even realized what I had said. _Did I just sort of tell her I'm in love with her?_ When I heard Bella suck in a gasp, I knew that I kind of did. She looked up at me, her big brown eyes searching mine for clarification.

"Everyone?" she asked hopefully.

I was the biggest pussy in the world because I just stood there. Frozen. I didn't know what to say. Did I just come out and confess my feelings to her? But I was supposed to be taking it slow. I didn't want to rush her into anything. And wouldn't she be freaked out if I tell her I love her and we aren't even anywhere close to dating? But we lived together, that had to mean something. That should allow us to skip over a couple of traditional steps. While my mind ran over all of these possibilities and questions, the moment passed and Bella turned and walked away from me, pushing Morgan in front of her.

I jogged to catch up with them and walked quietly next to Bella. I still couldn't think of what to say. I really didn't want to freak her out but now it seemed like she was kind of pissed off. She was so damn confusing. What did she want from me? I think my thought process had been seriously affected by the fact that I hadn't had any type of sexual relations with anyone, other than myself, since Bella and I had moved in together.

I would love if she got to the 'I love you too Edward, now take your pants off' stage as soon as possible, but I knew it wasn't going to happen. Bella had major abandonment issues. _Yeah, I looked that up on the internet._ I knew I had to take my time with her. I had to gain her trust and her faith, and make her believe that I wasn't leaving.

While I was busy reaffirming my decision, Bella stopped abruptly and called out to me when I continued walking. I turned around and looked at her questioningly.

"I'm going to use the bathroom and change Morgan. Watch the stroller." She stated. I nodded my head and stood outside the building. I couldn't believe how badly I had fucked things up. Damn, I should have just told her.

When Bella emerged with a fully awake Morgan, she had shelved any hurt feelings she may have had over my little overshare. She had a smile on her face as she talked lovingly to Morgan.

"You want to see some more animals?" she asked her. Morgan gave her customary clap and giggle in response and we were off to observe other animals.

Bella didn't act like anything was bothering her. Maybe I had over exaggerated her response to my non-response. I decided to enjoy the rest of the day and not worry about it. I would stick to my 'taking it slow' plan. My balls cried out at the thought.

We had lunch and walked slowly around the rest of the zoo. Bell asked if I wanted to take the train back to the entrance and I agreed because my feet hurt. I would never admit that, but they did. _It was a really big zoo and these shoes are fairly new, okay?_

By the time we had arrived back at the car, the sunlight was dimming and Morgan had fallen back to sleep. I wouldn't have minded someone pushing me around in a stroller while I caught a few zzz's after this day. Did that mean I was getting old? Or that I need to work out more? My stamina should be higher than that. I made a mental note to start running again. Bella was apparently pretty tired as well. She yawned the entire trip home, which made me feel a little better about myself.

After arriving home and kicking my shoes off at the door I asked Bella about dinner.

"You want to order some food?"

"Yeah, I could eat. What sounds good to you?" she asked as she walked upstairs to put Morgan in her crib.

"Thai, maybe." I called out after her. She didn't answer, so I pulled our collection of take-out menus and searched for the one I wanted. Bella came back down after a few minutes.

"What did you decide?" She walked around the counter to stand next to me. "La Thai, that works for me. I want an order of Paht Thai and some of those dumpling things. I'm gonna go take a shower and wash the animal smell off of me."

I ordered the food, while she took a shower and it arrived just after she returned to the kitchen. We grabbed the bags and a bottle of wine and ate around the coffee table in the living room. She begged to watch some nighttime soap opera show and I gave in because I'm a big pussy. I can't say no to her. So I suffered through Desperate Househo's and we talked about our day and upcoming week during commercials.

Bella had a pretty busy week ahead of her. She told me of all the antique furniture she had coming in from Spain. Apparently the client she was working with wanted an authentic Spanish design and money was no objection. When I questioned which client it was that would be monopolizing so much of her week, her answer made my blood boil.

"You remember that guy you met when you came by the office for lunch? Mark. I've talked about him a few times." She said his name so casually and yes she had talked about him a few times. A few dozen times.

There were many nights that Bella shared stories about Mark. How could I forget that asshole? _Mark has really great taste. Mark decided to go with hard wood floors throughout the condo. Mark told me the funniest story today, but you really had to be there. _Yea I wish I was there… to put my foot up his ass.

"How much longer do you have to work with that prick?" The hatred was evident in my voice. Bella just rolled her eyes at me; she knew he wasn't my favorite person.

"I think I have about another month or so. He changed the design plan around a few times, so I had to restart things, but he seems pretty firm about what we are going with now."

"He better be firm…" I mumbled. Bella looked at me funny and arched one eyebrow at me. When I thought back to my previous statement, I realized how it sounded. "Oh, shut up. You know what I mean." I shoved at her shoulder and she just laughed at me.

"I don't know why you hate him so much. He is a really nice guy." She defended.

"He is a tool pretending to be a nice guy. Believe me Bella, I know his type."

"Because it's your type as well?" Bella asked. _Ouch. Did she really think I was pretending to be nice?_

"What? No! Why would you say that?"

"I was just kidding. Lighten up Edward." Her tone didn't sound as if she was kidding, but I let the subject drop anyway.

"Okay, it's Dexter time. Enough of the estrogen fest." I said as I snatched the remote from her lap. Scrolling through our DVR I found the newest episode of my favorite show and made myself comfortable on the couch. Bella moved to sit next to me and hesitated for a moment. She finally settled at the other end of the couch, which was unusual. She normally squished in next to me, jabbing me painfully in the side with her elbow. I never said anything because I just enjoyed having her close. So the sitting at the opposite side of the sofa was just not going to work.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She looked at me in question and I motioned to the space between us. Her response was to just shrug her shoulders and I wasn't having that. So I reached up and pulled her over to my side of the couch. Bella stiffened for a second before relaxing into my side, her elbow threatening to puncture my abdomen. "Ahh, that's better."

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AN: So what did you think? Should Edward have told her or stick to his plan? Anyone willing to help him with his blue balls? I thought so...

Drop me a line and let me know if you like it or not. I promise these two are getting close to the snapping point. Only about 5 chapters left.

~Ashlei~


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks to my beta Sunflower3759. You helped me feel much better about this chapter!

Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

I own nothing.

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Chapter 16

All I Ask

The first fifteen minutes of every day at work were always spent in my office, with Alice listening to my latest bitch fit regarding Edward. She sat quietly with a concerned look on her face. She nodded at all the appropriate times, and looked pissed off when she should have. Everything a good friend would do. Inside I know she was just waiting for me to get it all out of my system. Alice let me gripe and complain, and every day she would offer the same tidbit of advice, to which I would disagree… and then we would finally get on with our day.

Monday morning started off the same as any other day. Alice sat across from me, legs crossed and her hands folded in her lap as she waited for my latest bipolar rant to spew from my mouth. I knew I complained about Edward being too nice, too sweet, too good only to turn around and bitch about him being an asshole, inconsiderate, and not worth the effort the next day. I whined about the fact that he hadn't told me how he felt and then wished he would just leave and spare me the heartache. I knew it was crazy. I knew it wasn't normal. But I was so confused.

On one hand I knew that I would never find someone as understanding and compassionate as Edward. I understood that he wouldn't wait forever for me to get over my issues. He would eventually find someone more than willing to jump all over his big…heart… amongst other things. I realized this and still I did nothing. I did nothing but complain to my best friend who sat and took it all in. Today I bitched about Edward sending me mixed signals all weekend. We had the bathroom moment, which got me more than hot and bothered. I relayed the details to Alice whose mouth dropped open when I told her of him grinding me into his naked body.

"Wow, that's pretty hot. Was he hard?" She asked, leaning in closer to my desk.

"Alice, he could have had a concussion. He hit his head on the tile floor." I admonished.

"Uh huh, you're right. So was he hard?" She asked again excitedly. I smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Well he wasn't soft... anywhere." I smirked, thinking back to that night. It _was_ pretty hot.

"Yeah, Edward has an amazing body." Alice looked away and sighed. I joined her daydream of Edward's amazing body for a moment before getting back to my bitching.

"So anyway, I ended up falling asleep with him in his bed."

"Did he put clothes on?"

"Yeah." I replied.

"Pity." She responded sadly.

"I know."

"So then what?" She asked. I told her of my unexpected wakeup and my accidentally kneeing him in the balls. She smiled when I told her of Edward's excitement about the zoo and how much fun we all had. "Well, it sounds like you guys had a nice day. What are you complaining about?"

"It's stupid now thinking about it. I don't know what I was expecting, it just felt like something, you know?"

"No I don't know, you haven't told me yet."

"Okay we were standing by the orangutans and one was flirting with me or whatever. Blowing kisses and I was like I bet he does that to all the girls. Then Edward said 'No, everyone can't help falling in love with you.' And he was all staring in my eyes and I thought he was going to tell me. I thought he was going to tell me he was in love with me and if he had I don't think I would have been able to fight it anymore. But when I gave him the perfect opening to tell me, he didn't. He just stood there. And I was so embarrassed and I felt so rejected. Which is totally stupid because I shouldn't have even expected anything. But I did. And now he sucks." I finished and sucked in a major breath. I hadn't meant for it all to pour out of me that way, but yeah.

"I'm not sure I got all of that. But he kind of sort of told you he loved you and then when you gave him the opportunity to clarify it, he didn't." She said, trying to sort through my confusing recollection.

"Yep. He just stood there with this horrified look on his face. I had to just get away from him. My eyes were starting to water and I didn't want him to know I was about to cry. Because how crazy would that have made me look? Me crying over him not telling me he loved me. God, I'm pathetic." I laid my head down on my desk.

"Hey stop that. I don't hang with pathetic people. You're not pathetic. You are just in a funk. This whole situation has put you in a weird place. Now pick yourself up and say I'm not pathetic." She commanded. I complied and she nodded her head, satisfied. "Okay this is what you are going to do. You are going to go out with me this Friday night. We are going to get dolled up and give our self-esteems a little work out. Getting hit on always makes me feel better when I'm feeling down. And you can see that Edward is not your only option. He may be the only option you want, but there are plenty of guys that want you."

"I don't know. Edward usually has to go to the bar for a little while on the weekends so I will have to get a sitter. And…" I opposed.

"Stop, no excuses. You are going. And that is final. Girls night out this Friday!" She hopped up from her chair and started to leave my office. "Now get to work, the pieces you have been waiting for from customs should be at the warehouse around eleven. You also have a meeting with a new client this afternoon and Mark left a message for you to call him about paint samples."

"Again? He is the most indecisive man I have ever met. I didn't realize men cared that much about the color of their walls."

"Maybe he is just drawing out the job to spend more time with you." Alice commented casually.

"Did Edward tell you to say that?" I asked. "That sounds just like something he would say."

"No, but I'm sure Edward isn't blind, and he can see just as easily as I can, that Mark wants a little more from you than an opinion on paint samples."

"Oh please, Mark is just picky. He is not interested in me."

"Whatever you say." She huffed and exited the room.

Working through my busy day, I thought of Edward every ten minutes. Which was actually an improvement over other days. And I drove home excited to spend time with Edward and Morgan.

I mentioned my plans with Alice casually over dinner, leaving out the part about getting hit on by random guys. There were some things he didn't need to know. And because I felt slightly guilty about it. Which was crazy. I wasn't cheating on Edward. But it didn't change the nervousness I felt in my stomach.

"I think that's great. Go out and have a good time. We stay cooped up in the house too much. I wish I didn't have to work." Edward said. "Is my mom watching Morgan?"

"Well, I was going to ask her. This all came about today; we haven't really finalized our plans or anything." I suddenly felt unsure about the whole thing. Alice would never let me back out of it, but I was losing interest in the idea quickly. "Maybe we won't go. I don't know."

"You're allowed to have fun Bella."

"I know that." I replied. I just didn't think I should be having the kind of fun Alice was talking about. I mean I was someone's pseudo-mom. And pseudo-wife for that matter. There was no place for me in a nightclub with loud music and watered-down drinks. "We'll see."

Edward just frowned at me and gathered our dishes. I went to bed early that night, wondering if I would ever be normal again. Would I ever be able to be decisive about my life and the things I wanted? And with these thoughts always came the little voice in my head, that told me that I had made up my mind a long time ago and I already had what I wanted. He was sleeping, two doors down to be exact. I rolled over angrily and forced myself to sleep, just so I could wake up tomorrow and repeat the cycle all over again.

I went back and forth with my decision the rest of the week, finally acquiescing to Alice, and Edward. He actually had to call his mom to make plans for her to babysit because I never did. I just didn't have a good feeling about it. I really didn't want to go.

But Alice showed up at my home, dressed to the nines in a short dress and tall heels. She was decked out with a miniature veil and a flashing 'Bride-to-be' sash. My face fell when I saw her.

"Gah, I suck at life. I'm your maid of honor and I am supposed to throw you a bachelorette party and you have to do it yourself because I'm a shitty friend." I said apologetically.

"I'm not throwing myself a bachelorette party. This is just to get us free drinks. I wear this get up every time I go to a club." Alice replied. I just shook my head. "Anyway, if I wanted a bachelorette party, believe me I would have told you. Now let's go. You look great BTW."

"BTW? Alice really? We don't talk in text speak. We have gone over this. No LOL's or TTYL's. People just don't do that."

"Super cool people do." She mumbled. I ignored her and after checking on Esme and Morgan, we left.

Alice was dead on with her future bride outfit, scoring us lots of free drinks. I don't think we paid for a single one. The more I drank, the more hilarious her scam became. For every guy that approached us and tried to get close to the fake bridal party, we came up with a new identity. New names, new careers, new home towns. There was a definite appeal in pretending to be someone else. But shit got real when I heard a familiar voice close to my ear.

"Bella Swan, fancy meeting you here." His warm breath washed over my face and neck, his body moving closer to mine. I turned around, looking up at his handsome face and smiled.

"Mark! Look Alice, Mark is here." I hiccupped. "What are you doing here? Is this where all the brilliant surgeons hang out?"

"No," he said embarrassed, "I'm here with my sister and a few of her friends. She's in college and is still in that party all the time phase. I'm just keeping an eye on her."

"That is so nice. Isn't that nice Alice?" I know I was talking much louder than was really necessary, even with the pounding bass of the club. But I was nervous. And Mark was attractive. And I was drunk. Attractive men and alcohol never went well together in my world.

"Can I get you a drink?" Mark asked, sliding onto the recently vacated stool next to me. "I feel so out of place in here, sitting with some familiar faces will help. Do you mind?"

"Of course not. We don't mind, do we Alice?" I don't know why I kept looking to Alice for reinforcement. Especially since she was not giving me any. She was engrossed in her phone, flipping through screens and ignoring me. I turned back to Mark and smiled hesitantly. He made me nervous.

"So what are you doing here? Is this where all the brilliant interior designers hang out?" Mark questioned. He smiled, showing off his perfectly white teeth. I let out a ridiculous giggle.

"No, we are having a girl's night." Alice chimed in. And rudely, I might add. I turned around and gave her a look. I didn't know what her problem was, and even if she didn't like Mark, he was a client.

"Oh, should I leave you ladies alone then? I didn't mean to interrupt." Mark responded. He started to get up from his stool.

"What? No! You don't have to leave." I put my hand on his broad, muscular shoulder and pushed him back down.

"I really didn't want to intrude on your evening. Like I said, I just feel really out of place over there and wanted some adult company." He said, looking at Alice. She just went back to looking at her phone and ignoring him. I would have to remind her that she needed to act professional even when we are not at work. It was my reputation on the line.

"You haven't intruded, Mark." I stated while cutting my eyes at Alice. She just shrugged her shoulders and motioned for the bartender. "I got a call from that local antiques dealer. They have a headboard similar to the one you liked. I am going to go take a look at it on Monday. I think it will fit really nicely with the color you chose. That is, if you are still going with that color. You've changed it so many times."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's just that my bedroom is really important to me. I spend so much time in cold, sterile operating rooms that I want the room that I spend the rest of my time in to be the opposite. I'm just looking for something warm and inviting." He finished with a sly wink. _Holy hell! That was hot. _It took a minute for me to regain my composure.

"I understand. And I think that when we are finished it will fit that description perfectly." I said, smiling. I could be flirty too.

"Bella, I have to ask you something. And I have really been working up my courage to do this for a while now. But I think you are beautiful and charming and extremely talented and I would really like to get to know you outside of your job. Do you think that we could have dinner sometime?" Mark blew out a large breath as he finished his question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to all fall out like that."

"Wow. Umm, I don't date my clients." I said. His face fell and he nodded his head dejectedly. "But if everything goes as planned, you won't be my client in about a week and a half. We could maybe go out then?"

"Yeah, absolutely. That would be great. So a week and a half then? Ten days?" He looked like a little boy, so excited. At that moment he reminded me of Edward. The wide eyed joy that is so often expressed in Edward's green eyes was mirrored in Mark's blue ones. I looked away quickly, feeling guilty all over again. "Okay, well I guess we will talk Monday. See you later Bella, bye Alice." He walked away from my side, disappearing in the crowd quickly.

"What are you thinking Bella?" Alice asked. She turned herself around on her stool so she was facing me. "Why would you agree to go out with him? What about Edward?"

"What about Edward, Alice. We are not a couple. He can't make up his mind what he wants from me. Well maybe I'm tired of waiting." The words felt wrong on my tongue.

"Oh, bullshit. You are the queen of mixed signals. You pull him close and push him away. The man is scared to death to do anything, because of your mood swings. What do you expect?" She yelled.

"This was your idea, Alice. You talked me into coming here tonight. You wanted me to see that there were other fish in the sea or whatever. You!" I yelled back.

"Yes I did want you to see that there were other men that were interested in you, but I thought you would realize that none of them are as good for you as Edward. Edward has been there for you every day. Taking care of you and Morgan. You will never find someone better than him. Wake up Bella. Stop being so stupid." She threw some money on the bar and stormed out of the club. Leaving me alone and pissed off.

I got up from my seat with determination. Fuck Alice. And fuck Edward. And with my drunken boldness, I was going to fuck Mark. Being an adult, I could make my own decisions. I was tired of people telling me what was good for me.

Pushing my way onto the dance floor, I stood on my tip toes trying to see over the crowd. Looking for Mark's dark brown hair. After walking the entire length of the club, twice, the fire in my belly started to dim. Until finally, I just wanted to go home and go to sleep.

I tripped and stumbled my way to the door, smiling when the cool air hit my face. Looking left and then right, there wasn't a single cab in sight. So I made the decision to walk to Edward's bar and catch a ride with him. It was only a few blocks away and even in these heels, my feet still felt pretty good.

I kept myself upright, by leaning against the passing buildings. I couldn't remember getting so drunk, but my wobbly legs proved that it happened. It seemed like more than a few blocks, but I finally I saw the green neon sign, shining like a beacon in the night. I half jogged the rest of the journey, anxious to sit down and rub my toes, that now were aching.

Pulling the door open a little harder than necessary, I swung around with it, hitting the wall roughly. I smoothed my dress down and ran a hand over my hair and tried to enter the bar again.

My eyes immediately found Edward behind the bar. His smiling face, happy and carefree, as he talked with a customer. And just as his beautiful green eyes looked up and met mine, the realization of what I almost did tonight hit me. The guilt flooded my system and tears sprang from my eyes.

Edward came running from around the counter and pulled me into his arms. He started walking me to the back of the bar, to his office.

"What happened, Bella? Are you okay?" He asked. He guided me to the small sofa in the corner and we both sat down.

"Alice and I had a fight. And I'm a bad person. And my feet hurt." I cried. Edward pulled me closer, running his hand up and down my back as he rocked us back and forth.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly. I shook my head, too embarrassed to tell him what happened tonight. Too ashamed to tell him what I planned to do. "Alright, just stay here and relax, everything will be fine. Do you need anything?"

I again shook my head and pulled the shoes off my feet, tucking them under me.

"Please tell me you did not walk here alone. Why didn't you call me? I would have come to get you." Edward said, with such concern in his voice. "Are you sure you are alright? Let me get someone to cover the bar for me and we'll go home together. I'll be right back."

As he gently pulled away to leave the office, I could feel myself smile, as I drifted off to the sound of his voice.

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A/N: Only two chapters left before the epi. Almost there folks.

Tell me what you think!

~Ashlei~


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Thank you everyone that read and reviewed last chapter. I appreciate each and every one of you! Special thanks to my beta, Sunflower, she makes this whole process much easier. Thank you!**

**Some of you are fed up with Bella, and believe me I understand. Just remember that there is only one more chapter and everything will be resolved. Remember that as you read this chapter. **

**I own nothing.**

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Chapter 17

All You Ever Wanted

When Bella walked into my bar she looked beautiful in a simple black dress that flowed around her perfect body. She was all I ever wanted, and immediately I was overcome by a feeling of déjà vu.

When she started to cry, I panicked, ran to her side and quickly lead her to my office. Bella sniffled and sobbed quietly on my shoulder. She wouldn't explain what had happened to upset her, only that she and Alice had a fight.

I left her lying on the sofa in my office and went to handle things outside. We only had two more hours until last call, so leaving now was not a problem. I gave closing duties to one of the more experienced bartenders and went back to Bella. Her soft snores filled the room as I gathered her up in my arms and carried her to my car. I chuckled as I thought about what people would think seeing me carrying an unconscious woman out of my bar.

I got her to my car quickly. Since she was sleeping so soundly, she slumped over in the seat, making it hard for me to buckle her seatbelt. By the time I got the car door shut, I had broken a sweat.

After the short drive home, I briefly greeted my mother in the living room and then carried Bella up the stairs to her room. I dropped her carefully on the bed and watched her as she slowly rolled onto her side. Carefully, I slid her shoes off and gently fluffed her pillow before pulling the covers up and around her. She smiled and whispered my name as she settled into the blankets. I smiled in return and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

Once I was assured that Morgan was sleeping peacefully in her crib, I made my way back down the stairs. My mother was on the couch with her legs folded beneath her, looking amused.

"What was that all about?" she asked. I fell onto the couch next to her, exhausted from all the night's activities. _Carrying a grown woman up a flight of stairs is not easy._

"Bella and Alice went out tonight and got drunk. I guess they had a fight and she showed up at the bar. She passed out in my office, so I left early to bring her home." I summarized. She smiled sweetly at me, and then grabbed my hand.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you?" I rolled my eyes and started to stop her praise. "Really I am, Edward. You have grown into such a wonderful man. I am so happy your father and I raised such caring and loving person. You put the people you love before yourself at every turn, and I am just really happy to see that."

"Thanks Mom." I said, fidgeting under her appraisal.

"When are you going to tell her?" she asked.

"I don't know." I sighed and shook my head. I knew immediately what she was asking. "Bella is tough. She wants to think she doesn't need anyone and I don't want to scare her away by coming on too strong."

"All women want to hear those three words, dear. Just tell her and then she will know how you feel. You can put the ball in her court and then she will have to make a decision. She won't be able to question so much if you give her the answers."

"I already did that. I pushed her to make a decision months ago. Gave her time to think it over. She enjoys driving me crazy."

"Maybe she needs you to be more direct. Don't be subtle, son. Tell her exactly how you feel." She gave a pat to my hand and pushed herself off the couch. "I love you and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Mom and thanks. For everything." I walked her out the door and went straight to bed. Unable to sleep, I thought about her advice.

The next week, Bella was acting very strange. Almost secretive. She never would tell me what she and Alice had been fighting about, even after my repetitive questioning. I assume they had made up though, because she never mentioned that she was looking for a new assistant. But she was working more, going in earlier and coming home later. It was almost as though she was avoiding me…

Bella told me that she was in the final stages of finishing Mark the Menace's condo. This made me extremely happy. Soon I wouldn't have to hear about that dick wad again.

I almost lost my shit when Bella mentioned that Mark asked what he could get Morgan for her birthday. Bella told me that I was overreacting, but fuck that. I know that he was trying to get to Bella through Morgan, and that would happen over my dead body. As much as I loved Bella, I would let her go if she wanted some asshole like that, but Morgan was a whole different story.

Jasper called me on Thursday to schedule my tux fitting for the following day. Morgan and I met him at the store late the next morning. He was all nerves as he looked at the different styles while waiting for the tailor to help him. Morgan sat happily in her stroller playing with her babydoll. I laughed as she pushed the pacifier in the baby's mouth so hard the face caved in and then she told it to shush.

"Dude, what is your deal?" I asked when I had had enough of his fidgeting. I bent down to pick up Morgan's doll and gave it back to her. She smiled and dropped it again. "I thought Alice would have already picked out what we are going to wear. Why are you so nervous?"

"She did." He said blowing out a breath. "We just have to get fitted."

"Then what's your problem?"

"I have to tell you something that I'm not supposed to tell you. But it would be really fucked up if I didn't." He rambled.

"Just tell me, man." I said, shaking his shoulder roughly. I bent down to pick the baby doll off the floor for the third time and placed it back in Morgan's hands.

"Bella is going out on a date with that Mark guy." Jasper said. He flinched away from me as my eyes got big and my body went rigid.

"What? When?" I asked angrily. Morgan threw her doll across the room and giggled hysterically.

"Tonight, I guess. Alice said that he showed up at the club last weekend and asked her out. Bella told him that she wouldn't see him while he was a client, but they finished his place today. That's why Bella and Alice got into it that night. Alice didn't think Bella should date this guy."

"Fuck!" I shouted. Everyone in the store turned to look at me and Morgan clapped her hands happily.

"Dude, ear muff the baby when you're going to drop an F-bomb." Jasper whispered, cupping his hands over Morgan's ears. "Anyway, Alice thought Bella just agreed to the date because she was drunk and frustrated with you. But she said Mark mentioned it again and they decided on a place to have dinner."

"Why was she frustrated with me?"

"I don't know, something about monkeys at the zoo. You know how Alice is, when she gets going I can only understand about thirty percent of what she says."

"Damn, I should have told her." My shoulders slumped with the weight of information Jasper was laying on me.

"Told her what?"

"I should have told her I'm in love with her. She gave me a perfect opening, but I chickened out. Fu…udge." I said correcting my foul language in time. "I've got to tell her now."

I stood up quickly, gathering all the toys Morgan had purposely dropped on the floor and hauled butt out the store. After getting in the car, I drove like a bat out of hell to Bella's office. A safe bat... I did have a baby on board.

Of course there were no empty spaces, so I had to park around the corner. Not wanting to waste time fooling with the stroller, I unbuckled Morgan and pulled her from the car. She squirmed in my arms wanting to get down. She wanted to test out her walking skills, but we didn't have time for her to teeter-totter down the street.

"Come on Morgan, I have to go tell Aunt Bella I love her." I reasoned and hoisted her onto my side.

"Bebe, Bebe." She gurgled.

"Yes, Aunt Bella." I took off running in the direction of her office. Morgan laughed as she bounced in my arms. I flung the door open and immediately found Alice sitting at her desk.

"Where is she Alice?" I asked, slightly out of breath.

"Jasper told you. I knew he wouldn't be able to keep it quiet." Alice said throwing her hands up.

"Where is she Alice?" I asked again. I looked over to her open door, her chair pushed in neatly behind her polished desk. The light was turned off and Bella was nowhere to be found.

"She's with a client." Alice said sadly.

"With him?" She just nodded her head and I fell into the chair in front of her desk.

"What the hell Alice? Why is she doing this?" Morgan scooted down from my lap and grabbed at things on Alice's desk. Alice handed her a round paper weight and Morgan rolled it around on the floor.

"She's confused. She tells me every morning how great you are and how she wants to be with you. But she is scared to make a move. Scared to lose another important person in her life. Bella doesn't want you to feel guilty that you were forced into being a part of her life."

"That's crazy though. I love her, Alice. I have loved her for so long." I placed my head in my hands, feeling hopeless.

"I know sweetie." She moved around the desk to sit next to me.

"I don't think I can watch her go out with another man. I can't watch her fall in love with someone else." I looked down at Morgan playing happily on the floor. "I can't lose them."

"Then don't. She isn't marrying this guy, Edward. She is just having dinner with him. Tell her how you feel, you aren't out of time. Just tell her." She said. "But don't do it here. Wait until she gets home tonight. I overheard Mark say that he would pick her up around seven and she is leaving here at three. So you will have plenty of time."

"You're right." I stood and gathered Morgan into my arms. I leaned over and gave Alice an awkward hug and moved towards the door. "Thank you Alice."

"Good luck." She called as I was walking out.

I called my mom as soon as I made it back to the car and requested her baby sitting services for the night. Of course she agreed, and after making a quick stop at the house for supplies, Morgan was playing happily in the living room at my mom's house.

My mother slapped my arm when I explained what was going on.

"Didn't I tell you to tell that girl how you felt? What the heck happened?" she asked angrily.

"I was thinking it over. I didn't want to just blurt it out over breakfast."

"That would have been a perfect time to tell her. Men, I swear!" She threw up her hands and walked me to the door. "Good luck." She told me with a kiss on the cheek.

Once I made it home, I only had a little over an hour until Bella would be getting there. I decided to straighten the house up a bit to keep myself buys. As I was putting away the DVD's that Morgan had pulled out earlier, a plain white case caught my eye.

The swirling purple letters reminded me of what was inside. 'Angela Swan and Ben Chaney June 20th, 2010'. I popped the DVD in and watched my best friends' faces appear on the screen. They both looked so happy. Who could have ever imagined that their lives would end so tragically and far too soon.

The picture faded into the video of Angela getting ready before the ceremony. Bella stood beside her, trying to hide her tears as she looked down at her sister. After a few words of encouragement, they hugged and made their way to the aisle.

The video shifted and showed Ben waiting anxiously for his beautiful bride. As the music started, you could see the expression on my face change when my eyes met Bella's. I was frozen in place as I watched her walk towards me. My stomach flipped, just as it had that day, as her smile came across the screen.

I watched the rest of the ceremony, noticing that my eyes never left Bella's face and vice versa. As we walked down the aisle together once the I do's were said, she smiled at me. That beautiful smile always gave me a warm feeling. The video continued on to our pictures on the steps of the hotel lobby, where Bella and I stole glances at one another. And more shots of Bella and I walking arm in arm down Bourbon Street to the reception. The video featured us dancing together and laughing and being happy. This is what Ben and Angela saw. This is why they chose us. They could see the potential in the two of us being together.

The movie closed with Ben and Angela walking out of the reception, holding hands and laughing, ready to start their lives together. The love I saw in them brought tears to my eyes and I wiped them quickly as I heard the front door open. I jumped up and met Bella in the kitchen.

"Hey, how was your day." I asked. She shrugged as she looked through a stack of mail.

"Fine, you?" She looked up at me. "Have you been crying?"

"What? No!" I wiped my eyes again self-consciously. "Can we talk?"

"Uhh, yeah. We do need to talk." She made her way to the living room and stopped suddenly when she saw what was on the TV. The movie had restarted and showed Bella and Angela hugging before the ceremony. "What are you doing? Why are you watching this?"

"I saw it in the pile and put it on." I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked down at her. "I see it now, Bella. I see what Angela and Ben saw."

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked. She pushed past me and stomped into the kitchen.

"I have known for a while now that I am so in love with you that it hurts. But Ben and Angela knew way back then. It is so apparent. Recorded forever, right there on that video that we are meant to be together. If you watch it, you'll see it too." I moved closer to her, placing my hands on her shoulders.

"Wait, what?" she said, pushing me away from her. "What did you just say?"

"I love you Bella. I have loved you for the longest time. I was so stupid in the beginning. Nervous and unsure. I wasted so much time. I love you."

"Why are you doing this?" she question. "Alice told you about Mark. I knew she did. All of this is about him. You're jealous."

"None of this is about him!" I growled. "I am doing this because I love you. This is about us. Bella and Edward. And of course I am fucking jealous. I don't want to see you with any man. I want you with me!"

"Then why now? Why when I have a date with someone else?"

"Because I can't lose you, Bella! I should have told you a long time ago, I should have told you the first day. But I was giving you time. You wanted time, you pushed me away. I was waiting for you to give me some clue that you felt the same way."

"Don't try to blame this on me. I gave you clues; I gave you big blinking signs. You didn't follow through. I can't sit around and watch my life go by."

"Bella you give me mixed signals. You're hot, you're cold. I don't know what to think. But I know it doesn't matter anymore. I know that I love you. I am telling you right now that I love you. I am letting you know that I want to be with you, only you, for the rest of my life. I love you."

"Edw…" she started. She wiped at the tears running down her face.

"Just say it Bella. Just say you love me too. Say it." I pleaded.

"I can't do this right now. I just can't." Bella stepped around me and ran up the stairs.

I stood frozen, my feet glued to floor. Stuck to the spot of the kitchen that I would always remember as the place Bella rejected me. I couldn't keep chasing her. I couldn't keep putting myself out there to have her run away. I needed her to give me something. I would close the distance between us every time, if she would just move an inch in my direction. So this time I let her go, I didn't follow her upstairs.

I sat there, my eyes fixed to the stairs that she would eventually descend. I waited patiently for her to realize the truth in my words and reciprocate my feelings. It took Bella several hours to come back down those stairs, but she did. And my eyes widened at the sight. She was dressed in a purple dress that hugged her figure perfectly. Her hair hung softly down her back and her makeup hid all traces of the tears that slid down her face only hours ago.

I couldn't believe that she was going to go through with this date. I couldn't believe that she didn't have the decency to postpone it to another night. Any other night that I hadn't just confessed my undying love to her. She couldn't at least give me that?

"Bella please." I begged. "Please don't do this. I know you love me. I know you do. Please, just don't go. Don't make me watch you walk out of here with him. Don't do that to me."

She ignored me and continued to gather her things. The doorbell rang and she walked swiftly to the door. I followed her to the foyer and pulled her shoulder, turning her around to face me.

"I know you don't want to do this, Bella." I told her.

"You don't know anything." She hissed at me. Bella turned, effectively removing my hands from her, and opened the door. "Hi, Mark."

His name coming from her mouth stabbed through my body like a knife. Cutting me. Making me bleed. He smiled widely at her but it faltered as soon as he saw me standing behind her. My expression must have said it all, because he looked nervously at Bella. He could obviously feel the tension between us. He squared his shoulders in defense, assuming my demeanor was in response to him. A fact that I wanted to laugh at. His punk ass didn't have anything to do with this.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his eyes darting back and forth between Bella and me.

"Yes, let's go." Bella pushed him so she could move out the door.

"Bella," I called desperately. Her eyes met mine briefly, before closing them tight. She pulled the door closed behind her and walked away, as I watched from the window. Watched as Mark placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her to his car. Watched him close the door behind her and jog around to his side. Watched them as they drove away. I stood there, with my forehead pressed against the window pane, still hoping that she would turn around and come back.

When I realized that wasn't happening, and she was gone, I grabbed my keys and jumped into my car. I left in search of the only person in the world who would make me feel better. The only person who would be able to make me smile.

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AN: Okay, don't be mad! The next chapter is already with my beta and will be up soon so I won't leave you hanging for too long.

Let me know what you think. The good, the bad and the ugly. Give it to me and I'll give you a preview of the last chapter.

~Ashlei~


	18. Chapter 18

*****Apparently fanfiction is messing up or maybe it is just me, but quite a few of you were unable to read this chapter. So I am going to try this again.*****

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. My beta, Sunflower, had this back to me a while ago, but I was so busy I never had the chance to post it. I have messed around with it a bit since she looked it over, so any mistakes are my own. Hope you enjoy!**

**I own nothing**

Chapter 18

The Only Exception

_Maybe I know, somewhere_

_Deep in my soul_

_That love never lasts_

_And we've got to find other ways_

_To make it alone_

_Or keep a straight face_

_And I've always lived like this_

_Keeping a comfortable distance_

_And up until now_

_I had sworn to myself that I'm content_

_With loneliness_

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk_

_You are the only exception_

_-Paramore-_

After my night out with Alice, I spent most of the day in bed nursing my hangover. Edward took Morgan to the park, giving me most of the day alone to think over everything that happened the previous night.

I know that Alice was fed up with my bullshit. I don't know when I turned into a whiny, indecisive baby, but I was over it. My resolve firmed up. I was definitely going to go out with Mark. It was just a date. I wasn't going to sleep with him out of spite; I would just share a meal with him out of curiosity. My curiosity to know that what I was feeling for Edward was real. That I wasn't just conjuring up emotions because of his generosity and caring nature.

All this time I had been thinking about Edward's sacrifice. Questioning his true feelings about me. Wondering if he was giving up a future because he felt obligated. I never questioned my intentions. My feelings. Edward never stopped showing me how much he truly cared for me, and the feeling was definitely mutual. But, was it love, or the result of us leaning on each other through a difficult time? Was I settling for Edward because he was there? Did it explain why Edward was reluctant to express his feelings?

So really I was doing us both a favor. I would test the waters and ensure we weren't making a huge mistake. Going on a simple date with Mark could save Edward and I a lifetime of regret. I know that Edward doesn't exactly like Mark. His feelings are written all over his face every time I mention Mark's name. But I know that it isn't anything personal, I mean Edward doesn't even know Mark. He is just very protective of Morgan and I. Because of that, I decided I wouldn't tell Edward about the date. It was just one date. If I feel like Mark and I could become something romantic, I would talk to Edward about it. I owed him that much. If not, no harm done. Funny though, my decision did nothing to quell the guilt I felt.

Waking the next morning, I was grateful the splitting headache was gone, but the feeling of deceit was still there. I pushed it down, way down, and got dressed for the day. Finding Edward in the kitchen, smiling while fixing Morgan's breakfast, pulled the feelings back to the forefront of my mind. Telling Edward that I had to get to work early excused me from seeing him any longer than necessary. I rushed out of the house hating myself for lying.

I got a decent amount of work done before Alice got there. When she finally arrived, she placed her things on her desk and then walked directly into my office. Sitting down across from me, she crossed her legs and looked to me with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I snapped on you and left. I'm stressed out about the wedding and I'm just sorry. Forgive me?" she asked.

"Of course, Alice. I'm sorry too. I have been really hard to put up with lately and I'm trying to get better. I shouldn't force you to listen to all my problems and still expect you remain neutral with your opinion."

"You don't force me to listen to your problems. I want to listen to them. I want to be here for you and from now on I will be supportive of your decisions, even if I disagree." Alice smiled brightly at me.

"Thank you. I love you." I walked over to her and hugged her tightly.

"I love you too." She returned. "Now tell me about the rest of your weekend."

I sat in the chair next to her and told her how hung over I was the next day. She nodded along with my, sympathizing.

"And I decided that I am going to go out with Mark. It's just one date, what's it going to hurt?"

"What?" Alice screeched. "What are you talking about? You are still going to go with him? And who's it going to hurt? How about Edward? I'm pretty sure it will hurt him."

"Hey, what happened to being supportive even if you disagree?" I asked while pushing myself away from her. "Edward isn't going to be hurt, because I'm not going to tell him."

"I will be supportive when you are not making the biggest mistake of your life. So you are going to go out with someone behind his back and lie to him. Wow, you don't even deserve him."

"That's harsh Alice. I just want to be sure. I don't want to fuck up and regret things." I mumbled with tears in my eyes.

"You are going to break him. You are going to break his heart. That sweet, caring man that would give you anything in the world. This will crush Edward. And you are seriously stupid if you think you will be able to hide this from him. I can't believe this."

"I'm just trying to do the right thing."

"Well honey, this isn't it!" Alice said. "You want to do the right thing… then go home right now and tell Edward thank you for putting up with all you bullshit over the past year. Tell him that you love him just as much as he obviously loves you. Give him something Bella, he deserves more than being lied to." She stood and stormed to her desk, mumbling the entire way. I closed my office door and sat behind my desk dejectedly.

Alice only spoke to me when necessary the rest of the day and left without saying goodbye. I felt completely hopeless. It seemed as though I couldn't make anyone happy. I stayed late that night, working through the time Edward and I usually sat down for dinner. I couldn't look at him; I could barely look at myself.

The rest of the week went by in the same fashion. I ducked out of the house early and came home late. Alice and I didn't speak. I lost myself in work to keep from thinking about anything other than color palettes and throw pillows. At the rate I was going, Mark's condo would be finished ahead of schedule; which he was extremely happy about.

A large bouquet of flowers arrived on Thursday with a thank you note attached. 'I hope these flowers bring to you even an ounce of the beauty you have brought to my home. It turned out exactly as I imagined. Now I can imagine the wonderful time I will have getting to know you better. Looking forward to our date.-Mark' Alice looked at the flowers and huffed. It was the most communication I had received from her the entire week.

"Look Alice, you don't have to accept my decision. But you have to respect it. This is my life. Mark is a nice guy and we are just having dinner. It isn't that big of a deal. And I would appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this information to Jasper. I would like to spare Edward's feelings until I can see how this turns out." I barked. It felt like I was convincing myself just as much as I was her. She rolled her eyes in response and went back to her computer.

When I called Mark to thank him for the flowers, we set up our date for the following night. He said he was taking me to a great French restaurant just outside of town. I agreed politely when he asked if that sounded good. It actually sounded awful. I didn't like fancy restaurants. I didn't like eating somewhere that had a dress code. But I didn't let it deter me. I was going to see this through.

The following day, Mark met me at a small deli around the corner from my office to sign the final invoice for my services. We had a quick bite to eat before he had to return to the hospital. He placed a small kiss on my cheek and told me how excited he was about our date. I smiled in return and told him I would see him later. I wiped the kiss from my cheek as soon as he was out of sight.

When I returned to the office, Alice was in a chipper mood. Her happy demeanor was confusing, however I refrained from commenting, and just decided to enjoy the moment. She was almost pleasant to me…almost. And she even waved excitedly to me as I left the office early. Knowing Alice, she probably tampered with my break line so I'd never make this date a reality!

On my drive home from work, I decided to tell Edward that Mark was taking me to dinner to thank me for the work I'd done on his condo. He wouldn't be able to overreact if he thought it was work related. I had hoped to have a little more time to think over what I wanted to say to him, but unfortunately his car was in the driveway. Exiting my car, I pushed my nerves down for the last time. It would all be settled soon. Soon I would know.

I grabbed the mail and was thumbing through a new magazine when I heard him approach me. As I looked into his red rimmed eyes, I panicked. Did he find out? Did he know about Mark? Edward denied that he had been crying when I asked, which scared me even more. He changed the subject and asked if we could talk. My stomach plummeted and my nerves were shot. I was never good with confrontation. I was never a good liar. What made me think I could get away with this?

"Uhh, yeah. We should do that." I turned my back to him and took several deep breaths. With my eyes closed, I counted to ten and shuffled into the living room. My body froze when I opened my eyes and saw the face of my beautiful sister. The one person in the whole world that I would do anything for the chance to be able to talk to again. To be able to put my arms around her the way we were hugging on the TV screen.

At that moment I lost what little bit of control I was holding onto. I was emotionally unstable. Every feeling of loss and every ounce of pain I've ever felt coursed through my body. It ripped through the stitches and patches I had placed over the hurt, taking me right back to the beginning…all the progress I thought I had made, disappeared in and instant.

"What are you doing? Why are you watching this?" I asked Edward. The tears filled my eyes and began falling over my cheeks. My voice was raw and cracked with emotion. I turned my back on the images that were tearing me apart, my mind telling me to run away. Edward started talking and I had to really focus on what he was saying. I could only understand every other word that came from his mouth.

"I see…Angela and Ben…" he told me. I walked passed him, my mind starting to clear now that I wasn't able to hear Angela's voice from the TV. Edward continued talking fast and excited when I asked him to repeat himself. "I have known for a long time that I am so in love with you. But Ben and Angela knew it too. It is so apparent, recorded right here…forever. They saw it; they saw that we were meant to be together. If you watch it, you'll see it too."

"Wait, what?" I asked. It was like information overload. I couldn't process it all, but did he just say what I think he said? "What did you say?"

"I love you Bella. I have loved you for the longest time. I was so stupid in the beginning. Nervous and unsure. I wasted so much time. I love you." Edward professed. He voice sounded desperate. Pleading for me to understand. Wanting me to accept what he was telling me. But I couldn't. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I was lost. My head hurt. My heart hurt.

"Why are you doing this?" I couldn't understand the connection he was trying to make. It was like everything in my body had short circuited and I had no control. My mind was flashing here and there, never stopping long enough for me to process what Edward was saying. Then a thought crept through. Not even a thought, a word…a name. Mark. It made perfect sense that Edward would profess that he loved me when faced with information about my date with Mark. "Alice told you. Or Jasper. You know about the date. You're jealous. All of this is about him."

"None of this is about him!" Edward shouted. But my mind ran with this theory. Of course it was about Mark. That would explain why Alice was happy today. That is why Edward decided that after months of dancing around each other, today would be the day he affirmed his feelings. The dark thoughts swirled in my head, only allowing me to catch the end of Edward's words. "I want you with me!"

"Then why now? Why when I have a date with someone else?" I begged for him to say it. I needed to hear him tell me that it wasn't about anything but us. I didn't want to hear him tell me he loved me if it was born out of guilt. I didn't want his love if he felt he had to honor his best friend's request. And I didn't want his love because of jealousy towards another man. I need him to tell me he loved me with no influence from anyone, with no strings attached.

"Because I can't lose you, Bella! I should have told you a long time ago. I should have told you the first day. But I was giving you time. You asked for time, you pushed me away. I was waiting for you to give me some clue that you felt the same way. That you were ready. I didn't think you would run to some other man!" My sadness and confusion turned to anger at his words.

"Don't you dare try to blame this all on me! I gave you clues; I gave you huge blinking signs. You didn't follow through. I can't sit around and watch my life go by. Hoping that you will make a move. Mark made a move. He asked me out to dinner." I yelled.

"The only thing you ever gave me was mixed signals and blue balls." Edward laughed meanly. I felt like I had been slapped and he backtracked when he saw the hurt look on my face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. But you run hot and cold with me. I don't know what to think. Do you think that I couldn't have found someone else who would appreciate my attention? Do you think I haven't had women approach me? But none of that matters. I know that I love you. I am telling you right now that I love you. I am letting you know that I want to be with you, only you, for the rest of my life. I love you."

I could hear it in his voice. I could see it in his eyes. I could feel it in his words. Love. I wiped away the tears that were slowly running down my face and looked into his eyes. He begged me to return his love. Pleaded for me to repeat the words to him. Every word he said pulled at me, drawing out loud sobs. I couldn't hear it anymore. I couldn't stand to see the hurt in his eyes, so I turned and ran up the stairs. I ran to my room and locked the door. And falling onto my bed, I let the tears consume me. The sobs racked through my body as I cried. I cried for everything I've had and don't have anymore. Everything I've done and didn't do. Everything I've said and didn't say.

My body curled into a ball, defensively trying to keep itself intact. The tears slowed and my eyes grew heavy. I was exhausted in every way possible, mentally…physically…emotionally. The memory of Edward's sad eyes burned in my mind as I drifted to sleep.

When I awoke it was much darker outside. I turned to the clock next to the bed and realized I had less than an hour before Mark would show up for our date. I rolled back over and started at the ceiling. I didn't care. I never cared about the date. I never cared about Mark. But I felt determined to follow through with it. I made the decision and I wasn't going to let anyone change my mind. Not Alice…Not Edward.

So I rolled off the bed and got dressed. There was no enthusiasm in finding something to wear. And there was no energy put into fixing my hair. None of the usual pre-date butterflies. No excitement. I was on auto-pilot.

When I descended the stairs, I was shocked to see Edward in the same place I had left him. Slouching on a stool, his elbows were perched on his knees, his head hung low. He raised his eyes to mine when he heard my approach and I could see the surprise in his face. Once he recovered, the words poured from his mouth.

"Bella, please," he said, "Please don't do this. I know you love me. I know you do. Please, just don't go. Don't make me watch you walk out of here with him. Don't do that to me."

I could feel myself caving. The pain in his voice was too much to take. I hated hurting him, but I pushed it all down and tried to make myself numb to his pleas. When the doorbell rang, I moved quickly to answer it. Edward grabbed my shoulder as I walked passed him and made me face him.

"I know you don't want to do this, Bella." He said with determination in his voice. I frowned at him. Maybe going out with Mark was a stupid idea, but it was my idea. Maybe my reasoning was way off base in all this, but I was the one deciding. I would see this through.

"You don't know anything." I said, turning back in the direction of the door. I pulled it open and greeted Mark standing on the bottom step looking up at me. My eyes fell to the ground, staring at my shoes guiltily.

Mark asked if everything was okay and I almost laughed at his question. I think things were about as far away from okay as they could get. Nothing was okay. But I lied and rushed out an answer. Pushing my way out the door before I faltered in my decision.

Edward called my name as I turned to close the door behind me. The sadness in his voice crushed me and I closed my eyes to keep from crying again. I silently prayed that Edward would forgive me for all the pain I was causing him.

I could feel Mark's hand rest on my lower back as he led me to his car. The feel of his hand was all wrong. His voice was all wrong and his smell was all wrong. My eyes stared blankly out the window as he drove away. Embarrassed, I wiped at the tears that were pooling underneath my eyes.

"I haven't been on a date in a while, so I can't be sure, but I don't think you should be crying." Mark said softly. He pulled the car into a deserted parking lot and stopped. "What's going on Bella?"

"Nothing. I'm fine, let's just get this over with." I said with a sniffle.

"Wow. You make it sound like I'm taking you to the dentist." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry. Everything is just so fucked up. I'm fucked up." I covered my face with my hands.

"Don't say that." Mark pulled my hands away and offered me a tissue. He sat quietly for a minute, probably trying to figure out how to get the crazy crying girl out of his car. "I know what you need."

He started the car up again and drove through the city. Turning his car into a familiar lot, he followed it around to the drive-thru speaker and colorful menu of McDonalds. He turned and looked at me with a huge smile on his face.

"I know you said you haven't been on a date in a while, but in the future, most women don't really like to be taken to a fast food joint on the first date." I said. My tears had finally stopped and I blew my nose loudly. Mark just grinned at me.

"Ha, ha," he joked. "I think we can both agree that this is no longer a date. That ship sailed as soon as you started the waterworks. Just relax; I'm going to make you feel better."

I sat back in my seat while Mark placed his order, thinking that there was only one thing that would make me feel better. Or one person really. Mark paid and drove away once he received the food. We only travelled a few more blocks and we were once again parked in an empty parking lot. He dug in the bag, excited, and pulled out a large order of fries and placed them between us.

"Okay, French fries and chocolate shakes cure everything. So eat up and tell me what's going on." Mark told me sweetly.

"Seriously? You're a heart surgeon and you are encouraging me to eat junk food? Who can I report this to?" I teased, while shoving a few fries in my mouth.

"All in moderation. Now turn off the snark and tell me why you were so upset." I huffed and took a big gulp of the creamy chocolate shake and told Mark everything that had happened between Edward and me. The words just flowed from my mouth. I told him everything from the first time Edward and I met, to the events that just took place. He listened to it all, nodding, only talking when he wanted clarification on something. It felt really good to just purge it all. Get all my insecurities and doubts out in the open. I slurped up the last sip of my milkshake and took a deep breath, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.

"Damn it." Mark said, shaking his head side to side.

"I'm sorry; I know you probably didn't want to hear all that. Once I got started, I couldn't stop."

"No, it's fine. I was just really hoping that Edmund would turn out to be an asshole somewhere in that story though."

"Edward." I corrected, a smile crossing my face at just saying his name.

"I know." Mark laughed. "But he's not an asshole. He sounds like a good guy and that you guys are made for each other."

"Ugh, it's like everyone can see it except for me." I huffed.

"You can see it. You are just choosing to look past it. I think you are deliberately closing your eyes so you don't have to see it. It reminds me of a toddler with their fingers in their ears shouting 'I can't hear you'. It actually makes me feel a little bad for Edward."

I sighed and looked down at my hands folded in my lap. He was right, I knew that. Mark's large hand covered mine and gave it a squeeze.

"But I think you can fix it. I think he will forgive you." Mark said encouragingly.

"Really?" I asked.

"Really. Anyone can see how much he loves you. Well anyone but you that is…" he laughed again. "I believe you've still got a shot.

"I hope so…"

"Well only one way to find out. You ready?" he asked as he started the ignition.

"Yeah, I am." I said confidently. I was ready to make Edward smile. I was ready to tell him that I loved him.

Mark got the car back onto the road, heading in the direction of my house... in the direction of Edward… the direction of our home. My nerves had me shaking and I was chewing on the side of my cheek, trying to figure out what I was going to say. When he turned onto my street I let out a big breath when I saw that Edward's car was still parked in the driveway. I didn't realize until that moment that I feared he wouldn't be there. That he would leave and I wouldn't have the chance to tell him.

"Okay, good luck in there." Mark said.

"Thank you, Mark. You really are a great guy."

"Just not your guy." He remarked.

"No…but I am so happy that I met you. Really, thank you for everything." I leaned over and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry that your first experience back in the dating scene had to be with me."

"I'm not. It was a pleasure meeting you Bella. Take care."

"You too." I smiled and scrambled from the car, suddenly excited.

The house was dark when I opened the door, except for the faint light coming from the living room. As I got closer I could see that the television was on. Angela and Ben's wedding video was still playing, running on a continuous loop. I paused for a moment watching my sister dance with her handsome husband. Their arms wrapped around each other and there was nothing but love in their eyes. I smiled at their happiness, knowing deep down that they were still happy together

It startled me to see Edward lying on the couch when I approached the television. Morgan was draped across his chest with his shirt clenched in her tiny fist. They were both sound asleep. Edward's arm wrapped around her small frame, protectively, the other thrown above his head. I couldn't help smiling down at how adorable they looked.

Careful to not wake either of them, I lifted Morgan into my arms. She snuggled into me as I carried her upstairs to her room. I placed her gently in her crib and grabbed the baby monitor.

Edward was still sleeping peacefully when I returned to the living room. The video played in the background, casting shadows across his face. I watched myself fumble through my speech on the screen, laughing quietly at my horrible public speaking skills. For a moment I was tempted to watch the entire movie from the beginning, realizing what a gift it was to have. I would always be able to hear my sister's voice, see her smile and laugh. Edward's smiling face came across the screen, reminding me of the important things that needed to be said.

I reached down and pressed the button on the remote to turn the TV off. Edward shifted on the sofa, but did not wake up. I slid my shoes off and sat down on the floor. The space next to him looked so inviting and I couldn't wait until I could be in his arms again.

"Edward." I whispered. I ran my finger down his perfect nose, making it twitch. His eyes remained shut so I whispered his name again.

"Bella." He responded in a sleepy voice. His arms tightened as if reaching for me and the thought made me smile.

"Edward." I repeated louder. His eyes flickered open several times and adjusted to the light in the room. He said my name again, this time sadder. Disappointed. Heartbroken. He pushed himself up into a seated position. I mirrored him on the other side of the couch. Edward pulled his hands through his hair, locking his fingers together against his neck, while his head drooped down. _It was my fault he looked like this. My fault he was so sad._ I started talking, hoping I would be able to fix it.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. Today and every other day. I'm sorry I have been so stupid not to see what you have been trying to show me. I'm sorry that I have been too stubborn to realize how much you love me. And I'm sorry that it took me breaking your heart to accept that I love you too." I waited, hoping, for a response and when I didn't receive one I moved back to the floor close to his feet and took his hands in mine.

"I know that I should have told you this already. I should have told you today and I shouldn't have gone out with him. I was just so confused and…" I paused to find the right words and Edward snatched his hands away from mine. He stood and started pacing the floor in front of me. "Edward, I know I hurt you. I'm so sorry. There is no excuse for my bitchy behavior or my idiotic reasoning for the things I did. But I promise that I will not stop trying to make it up to you. Even if you can't forgive me for everything I have put you through, I want you to know that I love you. And I'm so sorry for making this so much harder than it needed to be."

I looked into his eyes, hoping to see the anger disappear. It was still there, burning brightly in his green eyes. I wished he would say something, anything. I would prefer he yell and scream at me, anything but this angry silence. Realizing that this wouldn't be resolved tonight, I got off of my knees and stood in front of him.

"I know you are still angry and you have every right to be, but I needed to tell you that. I needed for you to know. So I'll let you think about it." I made my way to the stairs and just as I was about to take the first step, his voice rang out.

"Stop…" Edward demanded. "Is that it? That's all you've got?"

"I don't want to pressure you. It is only fair to give you space and time to figure out how you feel now. What I did was wrong. I can't expect you to just swallow everything I've said and forgive me on the spot. And while I would have loved it if you just pulled me into your arms and kissed it all away, I am willing to wait for that chance."

"Is that what you really want?" he asked. I gave him a confused look. I wasn't sure what he was asking. He coked an eyebrow and continued, "Is that what you thought would happen? You thought you could apologize and tell me you love me and everything would be okay? And then I would what, carry you to the bedroom and make love to you all night?"

"Uhh, kind of…" I answered hesitantly as Edward stalked towards me. "That's what I hoped would hap…" But he pulled my face to his before I could finish my sentence. His lips moved against mine passionately and I pushed myself against him. Wanting, needing to be closer. His tongue ran along my bottom lip and I opened my mouth to him happily. Edward's arms wrapped around my waist and walked us until my back met the wall. He pulled my body up as my legs immediately wrapped around him. His lips never left mine. He kissed me breathless. It was spectacular. Once we were both breathing heavily and grinding against each other, he pulled away from me and smiled.

"So Bella Swan, are you ready for this? Ready to do this _together? _No more confusion, no more doubt, no more questions?" he asked me seriously.

"Yes I am. I'm ready…I'm sure." I answered back immediately. His green eyes danced with happiness.

"FINALLY!" he said loudly before kissing me again.

A/N: That's it! Hope everyone liked it. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me even when I failed at updating.

Thank you Sunflower. I appreciate all your help and advice. I look forward to working with you again.

I am currently working on a new story. It will be much lighter than this one so add me to author alert if you are interested. I will not start posting until I have it completed so I can keep a regular posting schedule.

Alright, let me have it. One last time for The Godfather. Tell me what you think!

~Ashlei~


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